Shichi
by BananaPropaganda
Summary: Boredom leads to other things for Imari. A cat with a toothy smile, a self-infatuated caterpillar, one Mad Hatter with more sense than anyone else... Kind of a filler chapter.
1. The Demon and the Saint

Hello, all. Behold: Shichi. I'll try to explain as best as I can. But first: I don't own the Darren Shan Saga, though there's very little of it anyway. The Shinsengumi and Choshu belong to history, save for my OC's. (And trust me, it's hard to tell who's historical and who isn't.) I do own, however, a forty-dollar Shinsengumi haori, and some fake blood. Also, a rubber seal named Schrodinger.

Okay now. This time period (1864 to about…1868/9) is now known as the Meiji Restoration. From 15 or 16-something-or-ther until 1868, (the end of the story) Japan was ruled by feudal lords called Shoguns. (Think middle-ages Europe. ShogunsBig lords, DaimyoLittle lords, SamuraiKnights, ect, ect.)

Pretty much, American Commodore Mathew Perry came to Japan in 1853 telling them to quit doing that stupid isolation thing and open up to the world. They said no. The next year, he came back. With cannons. So they agreed, forcing Japan into lots of unfair trading deals with the West. Some people got pissed (imagine that) and decided they wanted to toss away the Shogun and put the Emperor back in power. (Under the Shogun, he had no power.) Plus, they decided they hated foreigners, and wanted to get rid of them. Coincidentally, a lot of these people were from a little township called Choshu. We call these filthy rebels Choshu, therefore, for the most part. Then, there were the people fighting for the Shogunate, including the Shinsengumi. (Though they're not the only ones, and were thought to be pretty unimportant until the Ikeda-ya Incident.)

Remember: Ronin doesn't change his name until after Jaden's death, so in this story, he is **Roden.** Speaking of names, these ones are all written in Japanese format, so the family name is first and the given name is second. (With one exception later on in the story.)

A change in scenes in the story is my typical squiggly lines:

A total change in time periods, where the story returns to Ronin, Toklata, Sakura, Katie and Ishin, is represented by a line of sevens: 7777

Only a few terms to learn this chapter:

-san is the basic honorific. Equal to Miss, Mrs., or Mr. in English.

-sama is one of the highest honorifics, showing deep respect or seniority. Lord is probably the closest equivalent. Of course…Jaden uses it mostly in sarcasm, so…

-Chan is a super-cute honorific used for either girls who are friends or peers, or (more often in this story) a cute young child or pet. Jaden usually calls Okita by Sou-chan or Souji-chan—even though he's twenty when the story starts—because he looks a lot younger than he really is. It's also endearing, but not too personal. Plus, he looks like a girl. (-Shinsengumi protest angrily in the background-) She also calls Roden by Ro-chan, but that's only to annoy him.

The lack of an honorific is only used when two people are very close. Usually family, close, longtime friends, or lovers only get the privilege of not using an honorific. Or, in some cases (such as Hijikata and Jaden) it shows disrespect. Samurai usually address even their enemies with an honorific, so to avoid it in that case shows much loathing.

**Shishou** is (even in 1864) a very outdated term for one's master or mentor. I imagine that it was used way back in Jaden's time. She and Roden-kun are probably the only people still using it…

A **Gi** is…well, the top part of a samurai's (or any other men's) basic outfit. You know…it looks like a robe, but cut off at the wait, where it's tucked into those wide-legged pants that look like skirts but really aren't.

A **Yukata** is…pretty much just a robe with a neat little tie in the middle. No skirt-pants are worn with it.

A **haori** is an overcoat for a gi or yukata.

And **Hakama** are…those wide-legged pants that look like skirts but really aren't…

(Okay, just go look at some samurai pictures and you'll figure this all out.)

And finally, an **engawa** is like a porch or terrace that surrounds a house all the way around, (I bet they're fun to hide under) and a **shoji** is a sliding door in a wooden frame, but covered with rice paper or some other thin material.

Anyway, I hope that's enough background for now. The rest of the war will play out… Now!

Shichi 

Strictures of the Shinsengumi (as written by Hijikata Toshizou)

1. You must not stray from the Samurai's Code.

2. Desertion is not permitted.

3. You will not raise funds without permission.

4. You will not engage in litigious matters without permission.

5. You will not engage in private fights.

All violators will be forced to commit seppuku, without fail.

In addition:

1. If the leader of a unit is mortally wounded in a fight, all other members of the unit must fight and die on the spot. Also, even in a fight where the death toll is high, it is not allowed to retrieve the bodies of the dead, except the corpse of the leader of the unit.

2. If a Shinsengumi member engages in a fight with a stranger, be it duty or not, if he is wounded and can't kill the enemy, allowing him to run away, even in the case of a wound on the back, seppuku is ordered.

-_Cherry blossom, a single bloom is still a cherry._

_ -Lost with knowledge, lost without. Such is the way of the law._

_ -Spring Moon, seen through the gateway of the temple._

_ -Spring Moon, cold while sleeping in a tumbled-down shack._

_ -Spring Grass, remembered until their colors change._

_ -North of the Water, the spring moon is south of the mountain._

_ -Though my body may decay on the island of Ezo, my spirit guards my Lord in the east._

-Seven Haiku, written by Hogyoku (Hijikata Toshizou)

June 5th, 1864. Day.

Rope. Nails. Candles. _Kanesada_. All in a neat line leaning on the outside of Shinsengumi Headquarters' back shed. Surely, Masuya the kimono-shop owner—no, Furutaka Shuntaro, aide to those damned rebels—was already suspended upside down by the boards in the loft of the shed. The extra rope waiting outside seemed pointless. Everything else, however, must have had a pointed reason for being there. Takoda Jaden didn't believe Hijikata Toshizou to be the sort of man who would leave his beloved katana—_Izumino Kanesada_—lying carelessly around.

Looking up at the dark, stormy sky through the branches of her tree-perch, Jaden smiled wryly, hating the rain despite the fact that it meant she could wander about during the day—though the skies were gray, not black, and her skin was irritated by the little bit of sunlight that was sneaking through the clouds—and happy only for the fact that she wasn't Furutaka at the moment. Whatever Hijikata was planning on doing to him was undoubtedly something that a medicine-peddler should never have had to have even dreamt of.

Some medicine-peddler the "Demon Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi" was.

She looked down and grinned as she noticed the alleged lifesaver himself crossing the yard slowly and grimly, heading towards the shed. She readied herself to jump out of the tree in front of him, which would thoroughly annoy him—and that was all she needed to make her day _wonderful_.

He was wearing a black set of ragged, worn-out hakama and a deep navy gi with a few holes throughout it, both probably on their last legs. His perfect black hair was up in a tight topknot—unusual for him in the sense that the stiff formality of it didn't seem to attract women—though as usual a few strands fell dangerously over his long face, and his awful, calculating silvery-blue eyes stayed deathly focused on the shed. Even when he stopped beneath the tree, to implore, "My, my, isn't it rather early for you to be around, Kistune?" his gaze didn't falter.

Jaden scowled down at him, earnestly caught, and tilted her head, cooing with false sweetness, "I was only curious, Hijikata-sama."

He shook his head gently and also feigned softness. "For shame, Takoda-san. Delicate hands such as yours should be left at home, cooking for your husband. Why aren't you there by his side?"

She was about to make the usual snide rebuttal, but he beat her to it, pointing roughly to the gate out front and taking back his usual cruel voice. "Oh, _that's_ right. But then, who _would _marry a street kitsune who thinks she's a samurai? Now, get the_ hell_ out of my sight."

Noting even more irritability than usual, she slid down the tree trunk and let him win, muttering "Fuck you," as a final stand just loud enough for him to hear and comment inappropriately on, turning to the gate to leave. She paused halfway there and saw that Hijikata hadn't moved, as if he had known she would stop and look back.

"Hey Farmer-boy!" she snapped, putting a calloused hand on her hip and smiling again. He didn't turn to look at her. "Do you think they're really planning something big?"

Hijikata snorted, and Jaden knew that he was grinning now as well. "Whether they are or not, it's come to the point where it's our job to _crush_ them," he explained. "For the banner of truth. For the Shogunate."

Jaden laughed shortly and cruelly. "I'm sure if you tell Furutaka that, he'll feel a lot better," she crooned, heading honestly to the front gate this time, not sure anymore if she really wanted to see what Hijikata was planning for the captured rebel. He may or may not have chuckled as she took her leave; the sound of the rain falling in sheets muffled everything, except for Furutaka's screams.

But then, it was possible that it was just the wind howling.

On her way out, she found another man, and her attitude changed immensely. "Good morning, Sannan-san," she said happily, bowing brightly and smiling up at the man and his subdued blue parasol and spring-green yukata.

The man smiled back, pushing a pair of large glasses away from the bridge of his nose so that he could massage it before stepping forward and covering her with the umbrella as well. He was shorter and smaller than Hijikata, with gentle brown eyes and a rounded nose that made his face seem friendly. His soft brown hair was pulled up into at refined topknot, but his bangs seemed to be too short, and fell lightly around his face. Rather than giving him a roughish air, it made him seem easygoing, however.

"Is something wrong?" Jaden asked, frowning.

"That I can't just live at Akesato's?" he offered jokingly, raising his hands in silent surrender when she bristled.

"If you lived there, when would I see you?" she asked skeptically. "Could you imagine? Without you, I would have killed Hijikata by now, and then Souji-chan would have to be Vice-Commander."

The man frowned briefly as he thought about the potentially disastrous consequences of that particular arrangement. Jaden continued.

"Anyway, you know how it says something about 'litigious matters' in the Strictures? What does that mean, really?"

He laughed. "Simple, Jaden-san." He then continued with a lengthy definition directly from a dictionary, and after that his own view on the word, before clicking his tongue with mock disappointment. "I thought you would know that, Jaden-san."

In truth, she had known, but had run out of things to ask him that she didn't know, but still wanted to hear him talk. Yamanami Keisuke did border on genius, she thought, and his voice was soft and calming, perfect to hear right after a bout with Hijikata. That thought and a well-placed moan from the back shed reminded her to mention to him that Furutaka would surely leak wonderful bits of plans to them, thanks to the Demon.

"Wouldn't that be exciting if there was a battle?" she implored, looking off into the distance. But when she focused again, Yamanami was frowning worriedly, almost grimacing. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He blinked back to reality. "I'm fine. And if something were to happen, it would be pretty pathetic if one of the _Shinsengumi's Great Vice-Commanders_ turned up ill, so..." He looked suddenly thoughtful and pressed the back of his hand to his forehead. "Actually…do you think I feel warm?"

"Oh no!" Jaden yelped, not bothering to check as she hopped behind him and pushed him towards the welcoming shoji of Headquarters' entrance. "You should have said so earlier, now I've kept you out here in the cold!"

"It's June," he laughed. "And everyone else is out patrolling as well. You're soaked."

"I won't hear it, Sannan-san! Go on!"

"Do I really look ill?" he asked suddenly, blinking and pointing to his face questioningly.

Jaden stopped. He didn't really look sick at all; his cheeks had a healthy flush and his eyes were just as kind and intelligent as usual. But he looked tired and apparently had a fever, so she decided not to take any chances and told him once again to get inside.

He smiled painfully but followed instructions, waving at her as he closed the parasol and stepped inside. It was at that point that Jaden realized the wailing coming from the shed had stopped somewhere along the line. Turning, she found Hijikata striding grimly towards her, blood on his hands but nowhere else.

She opened her mouth to make a remark, but he interrupted. "'Wait for a windy night and set fire upwind to the imperial castle,'" he recited. "That's their plan. Get your loved ones out of Kyoto tonight. Those bastards are gonna burn it. Burn it all to the ground unless we stop them tonight. We have to find them and cut them down. Cut them _all _down, like the rats they are."

Instead of replying, she grinned at the unmistakable wrathful bloodlust in Hijikata's normally smooth voice, eyes growing wide as he stormed past her and stepped purposefully on to the engawa, shoving open the shoji with dangerous force. She heard him continue on through Headquarters, rallying everyone there, and suddenly frowned at the lack of her own troops. Roden, she thought, could come watch the bloodbath with her, and then perhaps, he would finally respect the Shinsengumi as well. _Finally._

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

Sakura suddenly came to a stop, turning to look at Ronin. He at first appeared to be serenely asleep against the cave wall, but after several minutes of silence, looked up, his face even paler than usual.

"Had enough?" he questioned, frowning. "I don't blame you."

"Only for tonight," she answered quickly, before her true audience could protest.

"So… What?" Ishin asked after several more quiet seconds passed by. "The way you all talked, I've been thinking that the Shinsengumi was this really, truly awful pack of bloodthirsty animals. But they just sound like any small army in _any_ war. This…Yamanami character sounds nice, even."

Ronin snorted. "Give them time. It's only the beginning; you haven't met the Demon Child or seen the consequences of those foul, cruel strictures yet."

"But these Choshu…" Katie went on. "They're pyromaniacs, aren't they? I don't see how the Shinsengumi is at fault—"

"Tell Itaru that!" Ronin snapped, glaring at the two of them coldly. Toklata looked up at him tiredly.

Sakura shook her head unhappily and sighed before they could continue. "Yamanami was always the misfit. That's…the real problem. He and Hijikata never got along. Someone should have anticipated that disaster. Jaden especially became very good at ignoring the problems that were right in front of her. Hell. We all did." She stood up and stretched tiredly, retiring quietly to a deeper part of the cave, where she had strewn her things. "Tomorrow," she continued carefully, "we can leave. I will continue the story, but I want you to understand: You can't pick sides. Neither one was right, though both were probably in the wrong. Everyone in this tale makes use of at least a few of the Seven Deadly Sins. Some of them use all seven." She looked quickly to Ronin, then quickly away again. "And if we were to pick out the most innocent of everyone involved…it would probably be Itaru. And he's an arsonist."

Ishin, Katie, and Toklata made similarly doubtfully worried expressions.

Sakura only smiled at them. "I welcome you to the bloodiest revolution in history. Good night."

A/N: Blood already? Yes, of course. Meet the Shinsengumi. Important points made in this chapter: (1) Yamanami, (The Saint) whose nickname is Sannan, which is a different way of reading the kanji for his name, and Hijikata (The Demon) may both be Vice-Commanders, but they're polar opposites. (2) Jaden and Hijikata don't like each other. (Ever.) But Jaden adores Sannan. (3) The Choshu are planning to burn Kyoto down and make away with the Emperor in the meantime. This plan, luckily, doesn't get very far. (4) There was a torture scene in there that I could have written, but opted out of. I_ will _tell you the story, though. Legend goes that Hijikata hung the captured rebel upside down from the ceiling, pounded five-inch nails into his feet, took them out, put lit candles over the holes, and let the hot wax drip deep into poor Furutaka's calves. Yummy.

In any case, I hope you enjoyed/understood this first chapter. Leave any questions behind in a review and I promise to get back to you. Oh, and here's something new:

Next Chapter: Jaden finds Roden just a bit too late to watch the 30 Choshu men face off against the five Shinsengumi who find them, but arrives just in time for the aftermath, which she enjoys just as much. Roden has a feeling of foreboding, but Jaden ignores him and the pair frolics innocently to Sakura's abode. And who's this wealthy patron of hers? A cold, serious diplomat samurai? Not quite.


	2. Choshu Defeated

Hello all. I've returned slightly daunted from last chapter's lack of reviews, but will persevere for a little bit at least. Really, please do R&R. And I forgot last time to mention that this story is rated for foul-mouthedness, blood, angst, and prostitution. Oh, look! Some new terms for this chapter!

**Tabi**: Formal socks with the big toe part split from the rest of the sock so that they can be worn with Zouri or Waraji.

**Zouri**: Formal straw thronged sandals

**Waraji**: Like zouri, except they lace around one's feet and ankles for traveling and fighting.

**Aa**: An expression that means "Yes," but in a masculine/bored/annoyed sort of way. "Hai" is a more feminine or more attentive way to say yes.

**Tatami**: The typical type of mat that provides the flooring for just about any Japanese establishment at this time. Otherwise, it's just the ground.

Sumimiesen: A formal apology. 

**Hachigane:** A metal band covered with fabric that many warriors wear on their foreheads as armor.

Chapter Two: Choshu Defeated

She found him—her student, who had become something like a delinquent little brother to her—as dusk was falling. He hadn't been at any of his usual haunts, but leaving the home of a sword smith when she finally chanced upon him. The sword smith, incidentally, wasn't home at the time, but his wife was, and apparently she'd been able to service Roden just fine, as he seemed satisfied enough as he leaned at the door, quietly saying farewell. She seemed to be a bit red and flustered, but Jaden politely avoided noticing this, deciding to name them innocent until proven guilty when she stumbled upon their hushed conversation, wherein he was informing her that he would be leaving Kyoto soon.

He was a very tall young man—oddly so—appearing to be maybe into his early twenties, and looking at him as he stood scowling at his full height, it was a wonder how he could pass as a Japanese. Not only was he tall, but he also had an elegantly muscular but lean build, and strong, broad shoulders to match his big hands, which branched off onto long, sword-calloused fingers that seemed perfect both for handling a katana and untying kimono obi. His face was made up of sharp angles, making his features seem even stronger, and beautiful locks of ebony split at the middle and fell over his eyes, thickening around it's edges and ultimately coming to just above his shoulders at it's longest. The eyes themselves were as sharp as the rest of his charming face, and glowed a bright golden-amber from under his bangs, giving him an almost deceptive look.

His ronin's outfit left him looking dangerous and seductive, which fit him quite well. It was a cheap, thrown-together set of dark blue wide-legged pants that came to just below his knees, where they tucked into calf-length grayish tabi, and finally a pair of worn zouri. His torso was covered with wrapping bandages, and above that, nothing but a hard chest marked with a few battle scars (he liked to show off). If he suddenly were to gain some modesty, however, there was a rather bright green gi tucked into his hakama, falling down his sides and back end that, until that moment came, served only compliment the blue of his pants.

He quickly wrapped up when he noticed his anxious shishou watching warily, giving a charming smile before turning and walking away without a glance backwards.

"What was that lie?" Jaden asked dolefully, hating his ways, but knowing all the things that he hated about her just the same.

"I don't want her to expect me back," he snorted.

"Well, it might just turn into truth. Hurry."

He didn't question it, catching her serious tone, but followed her as she took off sprinting right back into the heart of Kyoto. Night fell all too soon, however, and after they'd run through Ponto-cho twice, the young man began to grow anxious. "What are we do—" he began, but was cut short when a loud bang echoed through the night, and a single golden firework lit up the sky.

The light seemed to hover forever, cruelly overpowering the far-off stars. They both stared in awe, the golden haze horribly painful to their strong eyes, but at the same time beautiful, and they were unable to look away. Then, it was gone just as suddenly and eternally, washing everything into darkness again, and Jaden suddenly cried, "They did it!" and took off running again, towards the source of the dazzling display.

Only a few moments later, Roden began to feel sick as the heavy smell of blood drew nearer and nearer, seeming to make the air hotter and stickier in its wake, and suddenly he knew what was coming.

They turned a corner and came to meet an inn called Ikeda-ya. But far from its full glory; the sign was just barely hanging above the main door, which was broken as if thrown open in a forceful rush. Just inside, a body, neck snapped, lay at the bottom of the stairs.

And there, the cause of it all came out from the alley between the inn and the building next to it, several of them, carrying a stretcher with another covered body. Its hand hung grotesquely and limply over the side, apparently quite unhappy, but _they_ seemed pleased enough.

A raven flew from the roof as the Shinsengumi emerged, smiling and bloodied; proud of the awful mess they had made. Jaden was grinning as they trooped out of the inn carrying bodies on stretchers and pulling the captured along with ropes as if it were a lovely sight to behold, but quickly recovered from her awe as a loud voice boomed several commands.

"Kondo-san!" she yelped, leaping over to the voice's owner. She stepped right through several thick pools of blood to get to him, staining the bottom of her waraji and splattering onto her clean tabi. Roden felt his stomach twist, but nobody else seemed to notice.

He was a middle-aged samurai with dimples around his mouth and twinkling brown eyes. It was easy to see where laugh-lines would form later in his life, and he seemed to be a rather kindly fathering type of man, save for the blood all over his white and black-striped uniform.

"Takoda!" he barked back happily, smiling broadly at Jaden as she skipped closer to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see your great victory," she laughed, as if the crimson everywhere were really a laughing matter. "This is great! I'll bet you'll get a ton of new recruits tomorrow! But anyway, how many did we lose?"

"One," came Hijikata's cool voice from the gloom behind them. He stepped casually out of the inn and leaned on the wall, picking at a bloodstain in his uniform with disgust and muttering that it would probably never come out. Jaden had tilted her hear after his first word, and since then had continued to stare at him quizzically. "_What_?" he demanded venomously upon noticing her.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he snapped. "_One_. One death among our troops. Of course, only five of us were here originally, so…"

Jaden looked to Kondo for reassurance, and he nodded proudly. "That's right. Just a handful of us managed to put off the Choshu's plans to burn down the city. But that's not to say there weren't injuries."

As if on cue, another stretcher was carried out of the inn's busted door, but this time with someone just barely alive—someone wearing a blue and white uniform.

"Hei-kun!" Jaden gasped, dashing over to the young man's side. He was pale and thin and his haori was a bit too big, and his hachigane had fallen off—or so Roden guessed, as the place where it should have protected his forehead was wrapped in bloody bandages. From his hairline to his eyebrows was wrapped up, and the gauze was slowly growing darker. At Jaden's voice, he smiled weakly and winked at her before lapsing into unconsciousness as his carriers trooped him away. Two others followed soon after him; a short, freckled man being chased by a huge man who was waving bandages around. The smaller of the two stopped briefly to wave at Jaden, revealing that a rather large chunk of skin was missing between his pointer finger and thumb, and joyously shouting to her something about what a mess all of his blood was making. The big one nearly caught him there, but he nimbly hopped away before Hijikata snapped at them to stop screwing around and to "wrap that stupid thing before Nagakura passes out from blood loss and we have to find a new Second-Unit Captain!" They both stopped immediately and moped away to dress the wound.

Jaden waved to them as they sulked away, then attempted to walk back towards the other two, asking, "Where is--"

Suddenly a boy came skipping out in front of her, large puppy-eyes twinkling as he took her hands and spun around. His uniform was the goriest of all the Shinsengumi who had paraded past Roden that night, but he couldn't have been more than fifteen. "Jaden-san!" he squealed in a voice that seemed to have barely been passed puberty. "Have you brought me candy for a job well done?"

She frowned and pressed a finger to his nose, pushing him away gently. "Where is Sannan-san?" she finished.

The boy crossed his arms and squatted on the ground forlornly, playfully hurt at her rejection. "Maa, you just use the rest of us to get to Yamanami-san."

"Not true, Souji," she said, patting him on the head. "I just like him more. Now come_ on_, where is he?"

"Sannan is back at Headquarters with a cold," Kondo informed her. Hijikata snorted loudly and hid a smirk behind his hand, but only Roden—still a safe distance away—seemed to notice him.

Jaden interlaced her fingers, obviously concerned. "How awful. I knew he was coming down with something... I know! I'll bring him flowers and tea next time I come to visit! Anyway, nice job guys! Sou-chan, stop that moping; I'll bring you some candy too. Come on, Ro." She dashed past him, grabbing his wrist and dragging him along after her.

"I can't understand how you can take that smell," he sighed, stopping abruptly in an empty street a few blocks later. Jaden nearly pulled her arm out of its socket when she tried to keep going.

"What smell?" she asked, rolling her shoulder uncomfortably. "I know they're from Edo farmland, but they really don't smell like—"

"No, they smell like blood," he said coldly. "Rot, decay, and blood."

"Oh stop. That was only because they were in a big raid."

He frowned. "Are you kidding? They're just a pack of bloodthirsty wolves."

Jaden clenched her fists and glared up at him. "You know, you listen too much to gossip," she snarled. "You don't even know them, so just shut your goddamn mouth."

He smirked slightly at having made her so upset. She was strangely—amusingly—touchy when it came to those Miburo, as if they were her friends or some such nonsense. It was a bit worrying; she had the slight tendency to fall in with the wrong crowd sometimes, but he couldn't help but harass her.

"I'm going to be a part of that," she said suddenly, looking to the sky with serious determination.

"What?" he asked incredulously, staring down at her small figure with distaste.

"Didn't you hear? Only one of them died; they're fuckin' amazing swordsmen. Plus, you don't have to be samurai-born to join the Shinsengumi. I can't sit around and do nothing anymore..."

"We've been through this," Roden sighed, putting a hand on her head as if consoling a child. "I thought you gave up when you realized that you were_ a woman_."

"No. I_ need_ to. Especially now. I _will _join them."

Roden shook his head silently, but resolved not to worry. She would never get in anyway. If hearing her whine every night was the cost of what little humanity she had left, he would gladly sit and listen. "Come on," he consented finally. "Let's go see Sakura."

--

"Ah, Kazunori-san. You're later than usual," a tall, thin, middle-aged woman croaked around her pipe, bowing deeply as she pulled open the shoji of her decorative establishment, welcoming a well-recognized customer.

The small, slender man that entered gave a curt nod, noting that she was starting to show signs of age—wrinkles and a few silver hairs scattered throughout the black, but, if anything, it only gave her a slightly more warm and grandmotherly look, something that she could certainly use. Between her pipe and knobby hands, she was not exactly a charming woman to observe, and her undisguised greed and ability to talk a favorable (for her) deal out of nearly anyone made her completely intolerable. One would think that her workers could easily take over the house and make it much more pleasant, and gracefully serve tea while doing it.

Unfortunately for her scowling customer, this wasn't likely to happen in the near future, and he was left having to deal with her. "Aa," he answered coolly, and yet very shortly. "I had some business to attend to. But besides that--"

"You'd like to see Sakura," she drawled in a teasing voice. "You're getting predictable, Kazunori-san. What is it about that particular woman that you like? A man of your wealth could certainly afford a geisha of a higher status, which would be more fitting in appearances."

"It certainly would be," the one dubbed Kazunori agreed shortly, green eyes flashing from under his woven hat. "But I don't care. Now, I will visit Sakura-san without further delay, understood?"

The woman nodded, her honeyed smile growing slightly strained. Kazunori Toshiro was not a man to be toyed with--she knew this; it was common knowledge. And not only because of his wealth--though that alone made quite an impression on the woman.

No, the diplomatic samurai simply seemed to have an air of foreboding, something like the air before a storm. It most certainly wasn't his looks--he was a small man, almost womanly in the face and shoulders, who was constantly wrapped up in a dark black or gray gi that was drawn up around his chest (never left hanging open like most men's were, to show off muscles) and a royal purple haori. His hakama were always spotless and oversized, hiding his feet most of the time, and the straw rice farmer's hat he constantly wore obscured his eyes completely. He carried a katana, but didn't show any sign of having any skills at all with it.

And yet, he was utterly terrifying. He had upon him always the dank smell of Kyoto air, which had become damp and humid from the summer heat and metallic from spilled blood. His eyes were always hidden and he was cruelly cold with everyone he ever came in contact with. It seemed he was in Kyoto only for the money he could make, which was, the woman admitted, brilliant.

He suddenly pressed into her wrinkling hands quite a large sum and waited expectantly, making a gruesome face as he caught wind of the smog from her pipe. The woman regained some of her dignity and pushed ahead of him, stalking up a single flight of stairs and turning into a hallway.

"Sumimeisen, Kazunori-san," she apologized while walking, the slim man close in tow, brushing away the smoke coming towards him with an irritable frown. "I will mind my business from now on. Anyway, I'm sure Sakura is becoming anxious. We shouldn't keep her waiting with idle chitchat. I'll leave you two in peace once we reach her room, I just have to escort you there—part of the job, nothing personal—"

"We're here. You may leave," he said, stopping at a shoji with a sakura tree and blossoms painted appropriately over it.

"Is there anything you would like? Tea? Sake?"

Kazunori simply sighed and drew his hand to his face to massage the bridge of his nose. The message was clear.

She stepped back and bowed, leaving without another word down paper lantern-adorned hallway that she had come from. Once her footsteps stopped their hollow echoing, Kazunori allowed a light smirk to cross his lips as he pulled open the shoji to the dimly lit room of Hiroshi Sakura and stepped inside, closing it tightly behind him.

The woman, sitting neatly on the tatami floor and lighting a pink lantern, looked up and smiled softly, right before her face split into a grin and she had to cover her mouth to quiet her laughter. "I never tire of seeing you walk in as this Kazunori man," she teased. The smirk grew wider as Kazunori plucked off his straw hat, revealing himself to be no businessman, but Jaden in disguise.

"Good evening, my love," she purred falsely, grinning. "You'll never guess where I've just been."

A/N: Yep. Take that, Choshu fiends! Was Yamanami really sick? Well, Hijikata-kun doesn't seem to think so. And Roden-kun is philandering with married women? Bad! Oh well. Jaden really is good friends with some of those Shinsengumi. That boy who "couldn't have been older than fifteen" was genius swordsman Okita Souji, age twenty-one. Heh.

Next Chapter: Jaden, Sakura, and Roden have a serious talk about the former's new ambition, which doesn't end well. Roden gets thrown out and scours Kyoto's dark streets for trouble, which he finds in the form of several bandits attacking a pretty young lady. But she's not exactly thankful… Is she drunk or asleep or just stupid?


	3. Bickering and the Brat

Bah. What, no reviews? You're killing me. PWEEEEAAAASE! (-Puppy dog eyes-) Please do sometime or another… I'd like to know what you're all thinking.

In other news, I've decided to do some doodles for each chapter. Heh. Well, what I mean is like an opening page for each chapter that hopefully kinda give you the mood of it. Of course, they won't be done until after the chapters are up, soooo…it's more like an ending page. In any case, I have the 1st and 2nd chapter's pictures done and will hopefully have the third done soon. If you'd like to see them, please say so and leave some sort of email address in your review.

New terms galore this time!

**Nee-san: **Term for an older sister figure

**Okiya:** A geisha house where many geisha, servants, apprentices and the owner all live. They entertain in** Teahouses** normally, but Kazunori gets whatever he wants.

**Gomen: **More childish apology.

**Gion: **Kyoto's major geisha district, home to okiya, teahouses, and schools for apprentice geisha.

**Hitokiri:** Shadow assassins chosen for their sword skills. They mostly work at night (duh) and are generally kept away from the inner workings of whatever party they're working for.

**Shinobi: **Less Westernized name for ninjas. It sounds cooler, right? Anyway, they do typical spy/ninja stuff. Meh.

**Ki: **Sort of like the Chinese's "Chi" except also cooler and less Westernized. It's basically a sort of life energy that all living things have, and it comes iquite in handy when it comes to swordsmen. Jaden likes to intimidate people with her ki, while Roden-kun masks his so he can hide in the shadows. You can sense other's attitudes, know when someone's sneaking up on you… That sort of stuff.

Chapter Three: Bickering and the Brat

"Men's clothes are very comfortable, much less constricting than a kimono," Jaden mused, fussing with her long raven hair, which had been tied high up on her head in a samurai's topknot. She released it from its pin, and it toppled to the floor messily. "You should try it."

Sakura frowned and mumbled "Mm" uncaringly to remind Jaden that she had told her the same things many times before.

"Typical geisha," Jaden snorted in her eternal reply, plopping down on a cushion across from her friend before suddenly laughing and grinning wickedly. "You'll never guess where I've just been."

"Are you two decent?" a deep and slightly irked voice called from outside one of the room's barred windows.

"No, Ro-chan, we're both naked, but come in anyway," Jaden answered skeptically, annoyed at having been interrupted.

"I don't need the sarcasm," Roden's smooth voice replied. A head of black hair made its way into the window, followed by a long, well-built torso. His broad shoulders and chest got caught for a few seconds, but he squirmed a bit, breaking several of the bars, and eventually managed to get the rest of himself in, swiftly dropping to the floor. Groaning and muttering dark things, he lifted himself up, frowning unhappily in Jaden's direction.

She regarded him with mock disgust as he finally regained his composure and sauntered over to the center of the room, where the pair was sitting. "Such a graceful boy you are, Roden," she teased, ruffling his hair mockingly as he took his place between the two women. He sighed at her in reply, which only earned him a hard cuff over the head.

"Sorry about those bars on your window, Sakura-neesan," he scowled, rubbing the back of his head lightly, glaring at Jaden out of the corners of his bright amber eyes for mussing up his perfect locks. "I've never come in through the window before, so... Well—" he nodded to the shoji leading to an outside balcony just to the side of the window. "That thing has gotten too loud for me to go in and out of. I'm afraid that I'll bring the whole okiya down around you if I just walk right in that damn door."

Sakura laughed softly, her chocolate-brown eyes glittering lightly. "It's fine. Just stick them back in to a convincing point when you leave. Then you won't have to break them again every time you come." She smiled quickly, but then turned her attention to Jaden, more seriously." Mother had you a little upset, it seemed. She won't be prying, will she?"

"I sent her on her way, and she won't be bothering us any further," Jaden confirmed snottily, not forgetting to afterwards hiss, "_The bitch_..."

"You should watch your mouth, honestly, Jaden. But anyway, she trusts me well enough not to check in, I think. Any reports on the--"

"Ikeda-ya!" the other woman cut in immidiately, green eyes glinting excitedly with blood lust and patriotism, wearing a grin that emphasized her small, cruel mouth and shining canine teeth. "I've been trying to tell you! I always thought that Inn was suspiscious."

Sakura just nodded softly in her usual graceful manner, as if the grin were not at all disturbing. "Hai," she confirmed, nodding. "I did hear rumors about that. Now the Choshu just look like some organized terrorist group, and the Shinsengumi truly have become the protectors of Kyoto... Tomorrow, surely, there will be an epidemic of young men who wish to be recruited into their ranks."

"Of course. Setting fire to Kyoto is a damn stupid plot."

Roden yawned loudly and stretched out his arms, hitting his mentor roughly with his left. "Aa, gomen, shishou. Anyway, Sakura, you know one of those new recruits is going to be this woman here, right?"

"Not that again, Jaden," the woman sighed, putting a slender hand to her forehead.

Jaden glared at him, her hatred rolling off of her in thick waves of her ki, alerting him that her energy was speaking for her, and it was cursing at him. After a sufficient bout of this, she swiveled her head in Sakura's direction. "What the hell is wrong with it?"

"Inside voice, dear."

"Well?"

Sakura seemed to be struggling to put Jaden's idiocy into nice words, so Roden answered for her. "You're gonna let yourself get used like a stupid whore, is what's wrong," he informed her as politely as he could. "Then, the Princes are going to bitch at you for it."

"A stupid whore like that one you were with earlier?" she snapped. "Anyway, I'm like sister to all of those boys except for that Hijikata, and he wouldn't touch me with the end of a seven-foot pole."

"That's not what I meant, dumbass. You know you'd only be a tool to them. To kill."

She pulled at her hair and subdued an exasperated scream. "You don't know that! They're my friends! You need to get a life, you man-whore! If you're really that bored, you can make your way over to the brothels for all I care!"

"Oh, Jaden, don't tell him that!" Sakura protested softly, pushing the near nose-to-nose mentor and apprentice apart.

"You think he doesn't know what a prostitute is?" she choked, trying to hide her skeptical fox-smile behind a sleeve of her midnight blue gi.

"Why would I pay for something I could get for free?" Roden interjected slyly, but he was promptly ignored, even by the usually polite-to-a-fault Sakura.

"Jaden, he has a point," she sighed.

"Don't agree with him!"

"Shh!"

Roden moaned loudly, hanging his head. "Why shouldn't she? They're _all _just a bunch of thugs! And I don't just mean the Wolves of Mibu, I mean every party participating in this damned war! You need to let these humans work out their own mess!"

"Please, keep your voice down, Roden!" Sakura hissed, glancing to the shoji and listening intently.

"Get out, Ro-chan," Jaden snapped quietly. "I'm sick of you for tonight. Go feed or jump off a bridge or something; just leave us to discuss these things in peace."

Grudgingly mumbling a "yes, shishou-sama," and knowing better than to argue, Roden crawled back out the open window, roughly shoving the broken wooden bars somewhat in place and landing in the dusty alleyway just outside the room, perfectly on his feet this time. Looking around the cool night and blocking out the two women's voices, he detected harsh yelling from the west, from the major part of Kyoto. So east it was.

It certainly was a soothing sound to his delicate ears to walk _away_ from Jaden and Sakura's obsessive chattering about their country's state of war. They shared the same mind-numbing thoughts with each other every night.

He did understand that this wasn't Jaden's only purpose for dressing up as a man and visiting Sakura every night--it was also to keep other customers, _real men_, away from her. She was a geisha, not a prostitute, so men didn't expect anything out of her rather than some music and dancing, but it would still be disastrous if one were to ask her to a daytime event. Thus, Kazunori, so cold and chilling, kept attached to her like a leech, and scared anyone else looking in her direction off.

But still...he hated listening to them talk with such strong nationalism. The whole mess, he thought, was another typical rut made by humanity, and should be solved by humanity alone. But Jaden firmly believed in "protecting her country from the devil—westernization" (which he, being originally from America, was apparently a part of) and simply wouldn't trust everyone else to work it out on their own.

He marched on with these thoughts, swearing murder upon Jaden under his breath; all the while earning both seductive glances from geisha and disgusted looks from their rich diplomat patrons as they slid elegantly from teahouse to teahouse. It was amazing that the war hadn't brought any fear—or any change at all, for that matter—to the elegant arrangement of okiya and teahouses. On the contrary, the increased need for business meetings had actually seemed to increase Gion's prosperity.

He supposed that being a geisha in Gion was a rather intelligent disguise for Sakura, considering that she really knew what she was doing and that she had a royal seniority over all of the other geisha at her okiya, and that it truly was almost completely all nightlife. As a half-vampire, Jaden had often sent him out to take things to Sakura during the day, and the district had always been painfully slow compared to the lively festiveness that it took on after sundown. There were hardly any men around and any geisha out and about were out simply to walk to their shamisen or dance lessons or to get their hair done--it was often worn completely plain, he noticed, unlike the elaborate things they had done to it for their nightly outings. Even the kimono of the day seemed dull in comparison the bold things that they wore to parties after sundown, and he remembered once stopping to wonder if Gion was really a district full of seductive, fan-waving vampires.

Still, Gion didn't much suit _him_ at all. It was funny to see women so supposedly sophisticated and money-happy glancing and smiling at him despite his raggedy appearance, but that only kept him amused for so long, and soon enough, all of the people and perfumes and worries of rich men that he might rob them began to wear on his nerves, leaving him completely irritated and snappish. Which all densely populated areas did seem to inevitably do to him. And so, knowing that Jaden would be nasty to him for days if he came back in a foul mood, he made his way out of Gion and into one of the empty villages on Kyoto's outskirts.

The quiet was as nice--he could still hear the dull roar behind him that was a far off geisha district, but it seemed more like a soft hum now than the annoying buzz that it had been, and he settled for that—as he quietly stalked the empty streets, June air gently pulling at the ends of his hair. It was a peasant village, so there wasn't much to admire, and all of the recent social upheaval and chaos had left it, unlike Gion, a complete Ghost Town at night, when all of the Hitokiri and Shinobi came out to dance over buildings and cut each other down. All seemed calm then, but with nothing else to fill his mind, Roden wondered blankly what he would do if he did run into either. Most likely, he would end up disposing of them—they would automatically assume that he was of the opposite side of whichever side they were on and stupidly attack, and that would mark their end, unfortunately. It was making such a mess of him and his ideals, this _peasant's revolt._

That was what Jaden chose to call it. A poor rebellion of farmers that would be quelled by the Shogunate's police forces all in due time. Of course, she had been calling it that for several years now, and he was beginning to wonder how long "all in due time" really was.

The once soft wind suddenly picked up, carrying several voices to him. He quickly became more serious, pausing and listening closely to the voices, which he made out as several men's. They were speaking rather roughly, and he supposed that they could just be stupidly fighting amongst themselves, but reached out his senses all the same out of pure protective habit.

And there, amongst three men, a woman's ki.

Already bored of his aimless walking, he took off stealthily in the direction of the voices, looking for a fight, or _something_ (_anything!!_) to take his mind off the damned Bakumatsu, as the Choshu were so arrogantly calling it.

He reached an alleyway mere moments later, where the three (admittedly very large) human men had a young woman cornered against a wall. They seemed to only be verbally terrorizing her at that particular moment, and she didn't seem at all battered, but there was an imbalance in the air around them—quite clearly, they were carrying concealed weapons on them somewhere, and judging by their looks, they would be ready to whip them out any time.

The young lady just stared drearily back out at them through dark eyes, almost as if she were half asleep.

"Can't you look a little more scared, rich girl?" one man taunted, before feeling a heavy hand on his shoulder and looking up, and up, and up, to Roden's coy smirk and narrowed eyes.

The man instinctively pulled himself free, tumbling over his own feet and taking his buddies down with him as he fell. This was the vampire's expected reaction, of course. He could be rather intimidating, being so tall and well built, and gifted with that pair of inhumanly colored eyes. Just like Gion's streets, this fear that came over not just thugs, but also trained warriors, at the sight of him would begin as amusing, but gradually wore down on his nerves. Even those who he was fighting for tended to cringe at his strength, and it was disheartening to think that he would never be trusted by those he worked so hard to protect. Oftentimes he would find himself envying Jaden—she was always sorely underestimated, always able to enjoy conceit and a fox-smirk after a victory. He was just a bully.

Despite these cold, heartsick thoughts, he waited with crossed arms and raised brows for the thugs to recover, frowning now. Though startled, they regained their feet quickly, and out came their hidden daggers, so predictably. But rather than cursing and trying to wave him away or telling him how unfortunate he was to have met them (as they would have done if he were a bit less intimidating), they skipped any sort of civil communication and jumped right to attacking him.

All three of them somehow managed to come at him at exactly the same moment, amazingly, and seemed to really be competent swordsmen, but their ki was still utterly terrified. He managed a frigid laugh at their awful waves of fear before easily slipping out of their way, and then whipping around to catch the one who had spoken to the woman by the shoulder, waiting to see if it would send the other two running.

He caught the speaker by his neck, and he crumpled to the ground, trembling and wide-eyed. His two cronies dropped their weapons and backed slowly out of the alleyway before turning and darting away in two opposite directions, with far more speed than they had shown when they had attacked.

Once they were gone for sure, he turned to mercifully gaze at their abandoned ringleader so that he too could catch the hint and scramble away, but found with disgusted horror that he must have grasped the man's thin neck harder than he'd first thought—and he found it pretty awful that he'd grown so used to the sound of bones cracking that he didn't even notice it anymore.

Sighing the _tragedy_ off, Roden took care to pick up the three abandoned weapons, leaving them on the window ledges on the huts on either side, deciding that they were more useful to the peasants living there in fear then they were to him. With that taken care of, he brushed off his hands and finally turned to face the young woman.

He hadn't gotten a good look at her before, but now, when he was able to examine her, his startled reaction mimicked that of the three men when they had first seen him. She was very beautiful, and yet immeasurably dreary and morbid.

Her spacey sapphire eyes were framed in thick, sooty lashes, and yet they were half-focused, cold, and unattached. They were also partially obscured by her long bangs, which fell over her face, then circled back up into a high, careless bun. It was the strangest color of silvery-white, and yet he somehow knew that it truly was her real hair color, and her skin was vampiricly pale. There was a light layer of blush across her soft cheeks, her round face resembling that of a glassy-eyed porcelain doll, and her shoulders had a slight depressing slump to them.

She stared emotionlessly back at him, painted lips hanging open very, very slightly.

_Could it be possible that she's asleep after all...?_ Roden mused, coughing slightly and moving closer to her, ready to help her further if she was frozen from shock. "A 'thank you' would be nice," he said in a light tone, trying to loosen the atmosphere.

She tilted her head very slightly, pulling her lips closed, and then speaking. "I didn't ask you to save me. Besides that, if you'd made any bigger of a mess, you would have gotten blood on my kimono."

All he could do was stare.

77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

"She really said that?" Toklata broke in incredulously.

"So I've heard," Sakura answered, glancing at Ronin with a slight smile.

He nodded. "It's true. She was like that. Jaden was really right about her being a snob, but still I…"

Sakura cut in, laughing lightly. "The good news is, a lot of people just thought she was shy when she didn't talk to them. But in reality she just thought nearly everyone stupid. She insulted the Bakufu all the time in front of Jaden."

"Mmm. Rai liked pissing Jaden off."

Ishin raised his eyebrows. "Is that really something to be nostalgic over?" he asked skeptically. They were now sitting under the stars by a warm fire, sufficiently away from the Mountain. "A stuck-up brat who drove your mentor—who you undoubtedly cared for more than you let on—insane? Saying that means you definitely hung around with this girl. As of yet, I'm not seeing why."

"Yeah, she's a brat!" Toklata put in unhappily, banging her fists on her knees.

"But there must be more," sighed Katie suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her, and she reddened slightly. "I mean…you must have seen something else in her, right Ronin?" she asked, wringing her hands nervously.

Ronin sighed, which everyone took as a decent answer. They turned back to Sakura imploringly, but she only looked back quizzically. "What? You can't want more, can you? Not tonight. Tomorrow."

A/N—Don't deny it. She _is _a snob. Roden-kun is originally from the West, yes. That comes into play later, when a certain diplomat samurai wants to learn English. Meh. Jaden likes them Shinsengumi, but it doesn't look like she's got much of a following. Oh well.

Ah, so please review and stuff.

Next Chapter: Roden and the young woman take a walk around Kyoto, and he discovers that she's more than just pretty, and not quite as rude as he had originally thought. And she's also… What? Choshu? Somehow I doubt Jaden will be happy.


	4. Bad First Impression

Mm…I was discouraged again. Plus, sorta busy too. But seriously, guys! I'm dying here! Let's pump up the enthusiasm! Yeah! Ah… Well, even the amount of hits is dwindling down, really. Well, with nothing to do, I suppose I'll throw this one out there. With some new terms to boot!

**Onegai: **Please.

**Kenjutsu: **Sword arts.

**Hakubaiko: **White plums.

Simple enough, yes?

On we go.

Chapter Four: Bad First Impression

Roden stared at the woman incredulously. Her voice, like her expression, was utterly uncaring, and she lacked the sugary Kyoto accent of most women he came in contact with. She didn't hint any fear, but instead subtle indignity and a hint of broken pride trying desperately to bandage up its dirty wounds and reintroduce itself.

Taken aback by her utter rudeness, he quirked a brow, amused, and leaned on one of the alleyway's walls, crossing his arms over his chest. "So you wanted to die, or possibly worse?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "Just wait around for the other two to come back then. I won't make the same mistake twice."

"No," she replied, glancing to the sky with halfhearted interest. "I simply never _asked_ you to save me, and therefore, owe you no 'thank you'. I am grateful, however."

The other slim brow vaulted upwards in distaste. It was simple to tell just by the sight of her kimono that she was a woman of some wealth. Ultimately, it was simple, but made of fine, emerald-colored silk, a shining silver obi tied in the small of her back in a complicated knot. It was very wide; reaching from just below her breasts to her mid hip, which was a little odd, as it accented the curves of her body in a way that might have seemed inappropriate had it not been so subtle and stylish. Silver lilies to match the obi and her strange hair stretched across her shoulders, down her waist and legs, to the very bottom, which pooled around her feet. (But her attitude was a dead giveaway as well.)

He sighed again, as he had done so many times that night. So unfortunately typical that he had finally gotten the chance to play hero for a pretty young lady, and she had ended up being a complete snob.

_And stupid, too, apparently! Walking around in the middle of the night dressed like she was...she was just begging to be robbed!_

"--like to sit and talk with me?"

He blinked, coming out of his disappointed thoughts. "Excuse me?"

"Would you like to sit and talk with me?"

"I don't think we'd have much to talk about," he snorted, trying to keep from laughing as to not appear quite as impolite as her. "Now get yourself off of the streets, rich girl." He picked himself off of the wall and began to saunter back in the direction of Sakura's room, moping about what a total waste of time and energy he had just been through.

"Judging me so soon?" she scolded quietly. "I think you're the one who's made the bad first impression, but I'm not judging _you_ yet. I just want to sit and talk with _someone_."

Again, he paused, wondering if he'd heard correctly.

"No matter what you say, I'm not going home this early," she started in a roundabout, offhanded way. "So it's possible that someone else will try to rob me, or worse. Probably worse, really. Unless, of course...there was a man such as yourself walking with me."

He scowled internally. That proved that she really wasn't stupid at all, which made it harder to leave her there.

"Aa," his voice answered for him. "I'll walk with you." Cursing himself for spitting out that answer, he turned and motioned for her to lead the way. She did so easy grace, pushing past him and heading in the opposite direction that he had come from. He noticed that her movements were airy and less conservative than most women's, though the overlong kimono dragging on the ground still gave the eerie impression that she was gliding through the misty night. They walked in silence at an annoyingly slow pace until distant shouts echoed from the west, breaking the still night.

"Kyoto," she sighed sadly at the sound. "Kyoto is in turmoil."

Roden gave a short chuckle. "Well, one would think the Bakufu would have seen it coming. There's been a myriad of revolutions in the past century, and the warning signs are simple to sense. Poor things."

She gazed up at him dreamily, mouth slightly open again. "Don't spare them your sympathy," she commanded of him tartly. "Those traditionalists have oppressed everyone but their upper class forever, then they go ahead and allow foreigners to come in and walk all over them, and they think that the rest of Japan is going to sit back and allow it? They're finally weak, and this country is ripe for change."

He felt his cheeks gain slight color and his face change into an expression of surprise.

"Hm? Why are you turning red, Samurai-san? Could it be that you are embarrassed for thinking me a mindless woman? Anyway, if you dwell on only the bad, you don't have to burden yourself with feeling for those hounds."

"I'm not turning red," Roden snapped irritably, folding his arms across his chest and lengthening his stride. "And I'm not a samurai." She kept her casual, lazy pace. Several steps later, however, he stopped, checked his belt, and once sure that he didn't have a katana with him, asked, "How'd you know I was a swordsman at all?"

She shrugged. "There is something about you. Your movements are graceful. And you had the good will and courage to rescue me. However...you are a free sword, am I right? You are neither pro- nor anti-Bakufu?"

"...Aa, that's right," Roden confirmed, taken aback by the young woman's ability to seemingly read minds. There was an odd silence.

"My name? Rai...Naoko Rai."

"Ano...I'm Roden," he replied awkwardly.

"Just Roden? You're a swordsman, and you have no family name?"

"Er...yes. I do. Takoda. Takoda Roden."

He didn't much like using Jaden's family name, but it always kept things nice and simple. If he were to use his own, people would recognize that he was from the west, and if he simply said that he didn't have one...well, trouble would follow either way.

"Roden is a rather odd given name," she mused. "It is foreign, ne?"

"Aa," he confirmed hastily, worried about causing trouble if she was an exclusionist. He changed the subject, very blatantly. "So...Why are you out at this time of night anyway, Naoko-san?"

"Just call me Rai, because I have no intention of referring to you as Takoda-san," she told him, coming very close to a scowl, and then catching herself and continuing. "I like to look at the stars. It is a refreshing break from my day-to-day life, and tremendously more exciting. And you, Roden? What has you out so late?"

He fussed over a good excuse in his mind, stopping and leaning on a nearby sakura tree to think. Quickly, he decided on, "Hm...my master was preoccupied, and this is about all the free time I get, so I figured I'd just walk a bit..."

He glanced up at the sky. They _were_ pretty: the stars.

_ But this woman risks her life just to come outside and stare at them...?_

"How often do you get attacked, Rai-san?" he asked.

"Onegai, Roden, please drop the '-san,'" she repeated, sounding distractedly exasperated. "I get enough false politeness throughout the day. Talk to me casually; as I would prefer. As for the bandits that come after me..." She shrugged her soft shoulders dismissively. "I try to avoid them, but I'll see a group every few nights."

"How have you managed to escape them?"

"Bandits are not the hardest people to outwit."

"But—"

"Well, the rest haven't thought to corner me," she clarified, pushing a stray lock of hair away from her nose. "If you hadn't come along tonight, I most likely would've been kidnapped or killed."

He blinked and pulled himself out of his leaning position. That was a heavy thought. If he hadn't gotten kicked out by Jaden, then the young lady before him would have fallen into the hands of those miserable thugs, who would've put their filthy hands all over her, smudged her perfect kimono, pulled loose her intricate hairstyle...and if he had happened to pass her on the street another time, beaten and limping, he would've thought her just a stupid slut who associated herself with the wrong kind of men. Anger bubbled faintly somewhere in his stomach, and he regretted not finishing the two who had escaped off.

_ Fate is really something. Perhaps I'll find it in my own destiny to slip shishou a thank you._

"Isn't that a little ridiculous? To risk your life just to stare at the heavens..."

"It is just as you risk your life every time you wield a sword," she pointed out softly. "But...is risking something for something you love really that risky, I wonder, Roden? Besides, my real life isn't exactly my dream come true either."

He was left silent, a rare thing, thinking worriedly, and in horror, that this woman before him might have really outsmarted him.

Saving him some embarrassment, she continued. "Have you ever just looked at the stars, with no other purpose in mind? Have you ever simply _looked_?"

Seeing it as a way to redeem his collected calm, he scowled. "Yes, my master likes to make me sit out and stare at them--"

"Without being forced to?"

"Well...sometimes," he answered, surprising himself with his own half-lie._ After a full century of life, I've generally ignored the sky I see every night? _he asked himself. It was a strange feeling to think that he'd been under the same night sky for nearly a century of life, and had known it was there, but never really felt curious enough to lie down and stare up questioningly without Jaden goading him into it. Even then he'd usually fallen asleep or let his mind wander elsewhere.

"You should take the time to do so one night," Rai nearly commanded in her cold, impersonal voice. "It is good for the soul, or so I would imagine. Swordsmen can always use some soul-cleansing, ne?"

Roden blinked. "Why is that?"

"Swords are used to kill, no matter what the reason," she sighed, as if his stupidity were frustrating her. "Whether you're out for personal gain or to help others, as long as you hold a katana, the only art you can practice is murder. Although apparently _you_ don't even _need_ a sword for that."

They continued walking on. She left him feeling awkward and clumsy for a change, and he fumbled in his mind over things he could say that might make him seem slightly more intelligent and slightly less like a murderer in her cool, dark eyes.

He thought of the perfect thing moments later, cursing himself for not heading in _that_ particular direction the second that he had discovered that she was actually brilliant. "What about gardens?" he asked.

Her eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, but her tone of voice and dead-to-the-world sapphire orbs remained the same. "Gardens?" she inquired.

Roden, instead of offering an explanation, took her hand gently and pulled, quickly turning her around leading her back in the direction of Sakura's okiya. Luckily, they hadn't wandered too far from it because of their relaxed pace, and they snaked through dark alleyways as to avoid curious eyes, zouri and geta clapping softly against the streets, to reach it after only a several minutes. Rai didn't speak at all for the entire trip, and she didn't seem to be scared in the slightest, despite being dragged around by a tall, muscular ronin that she didn't know anything about other than his name.

She stopped at the front of the okiya, thinking that it was their destination, but he continued pulling childishly, and led her around the back, then through a few more streets. They passed several ghostly empty markets and kenjutsu dojos all with grim silence, as shouts still echoed around them, finally coming to the edge of a dense forest with the faintest sign of a path beaten into a small, dark opening within ten minutes of hurried pulling.

It bordered one of the farther-off streets, and he also led her through that, peeling back prickers and such, as he would have hated to have seen a tear in her lovely kimono, caused by his own rush. The pair moved a bit more slowly through it, but they didn't have to take the path horridly far to find their destination.

Finally, they reached a large clearing between the thick trees, one absolutely _bursting_ with lush green plants, elegant flowers, both exotic and native, and lovely carved cobblestone pathways. He released her small hand and turned towards her, smirking and waiting on a reaction.

Rai's dark eyes glittered faintly, and they may have widened. "They're beautiful," she commented matter-of-factly.

Roden frowned. He had been hoping for a smile, at the very least.

"Kazunori Toshiro's private gardens," he explained, leading her into the mess of floral decor, to where a small pavilion sat, surrounded by sakura trees just bare of their blossoms, lilies, and the light scent of hakubaiko. He made his way to the pavilion and sat down peacefully, leaving Rai to look around.

He honestly adored these gardens, no matter how feminine that confession left him feeling. The plants made him feel calm and utterly at peace with himself; free of worry. It could have been the fact that Jaden, Sakura, and himself had slaved over them for several months, after Jaden had decided abruptly one day that she wanted her own Gardens. After that declaration, no further questions had been asked about the project, and they had hopped to work, with the promise that she would share them, and the fact that they could all sleep there during the day undisturbed.

Sakura had carefully picked out and arranged the flowers, so that the colors always complimented each other, and so that certain parts of the garden harbored different shades. (The portion he was now in with Rai was full of the cooler, calming colors, blues and purples, while just through the path a bit would reveal booming reds, yellows, and oranges.) Jaden kept herself busy (disguised as Kazunori) with picking out different fruit trees and bushes, as well as the koi ponds and Zen shrines that one would pass every now and then. (She also got to pick out the pavilion design, much to the Roden and Sakura's jealousy.) Roden himself was left with the pathways, and the job of picking out a few lanterns to place throughout the plants. All of the weeding and other upkeep kept him busy when he didn't feel like going into the city.

"Kazunori Toshiro's private... We shouldn't be here, then," Rai mumbled, breaking Roden out of his light, fond daze.

"Aa. No need to worry," he replied, yawning. "My master and Kazunori-san are...very close. So don't hurry off in fear of running in to the man."

"If you insist," Rai replied, almost in a sarcastic tone. Roden raised a brow and glanced in her direction, but ultimately decided to let it be.

Instead of taking a seat in the pavilion by him, she walked around for a bit, examining a cluster of soft lavender flowers first, then later moving on to some water lilies. Roden, meanwhile, waited patiently for her to start up a new conversation, which took no longer than half a minute.

"I did not realize that Kazunori was so secretly sentimental...nor you," she commented. Though her voice and face was still serious, Roden knew that she was teasing. She cupped one of the small baby blue buds on her current plant of interest, and after a pause, she added, "Most women would think that you were trying to charm them, bringing them into this secluded paradise...but I think that you are trying to prove to be an intellectual match for me, is that right?"

"I already_ know_ that I'm an intellectual match for you," he replied, almost automatically. "I don't need to prove a thing."

"Tell me, will you be looking at the stars more often, Roden?" Rai retaliated, ignoring his reply.

"If I find the time, I'll glance in their general direction," he sniffed, sighing and resting his chin in his palm.

"Well, if you are such an intelligent man, then please converse with me without_ acting_ like the _brute_ you appear to be."

He faltered again. "A-About what?" he stammered. Then he realized that he _had _stammered, and added a sarcastic, "Hm,_ dear_?"

Rai picked one of the sky-colored flowers and moved—flowed—over to him, placing it in his palm and pressing his calloused fingers closed around it lightly enough to refrain from crushing it. "It seems we both see something in nature. You are fond of this place. Tell me why."

"Maybe it's because I like to watch everything die in the fall," he suggested coolly, curling his hand further into a tight fist, then letting the remnants of the broken flower fall to the cobblestone path.

"I see..." she trailed off, looking vaguely thoughtful. "...Anyone simply passing you would think you to be one to destroy, not to create, of course" she mused. "...And yet, maybe you stay in this place because you are a romantic who likes to see new life bloom in the spring."

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"You and I are not so different, it would seem."

"How so?"

"No one looks past our skin," she said simply. "In that sense, we are nobodies."

He thought about that. It was true in his case, but her problem was yet to be revealed. "Does your husband ignore you or something?" he asked.

"I'm not married, but it's something to that effect," she told him, refusing to say any more as she continued quietly examining the flora and foliage, sometimes murmuring the names of ones she seemed to particularly like. She eventually went off to another section and navigated on her own.

Roden suggested that he escort her home when she returned to where he was sitting, which she softly agreed to. They retraced their steps through the woods quickly, but Roden stopped as they stepped back out onto one of the main roads. Rai headed in the direction of still-bursting-with-life, still-bright-and-annoying Gion, while he remained warily behind a few paces.

"Where do you live?" he asked, hoping to somehow avoid the rush of the district.

She stared at him almost sadly, though the emotion might have only been his imagination. "I live in Gion," she answered finally. "I am a geisha."

77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

"Well, well," Ishin yawned. "She's smart. She's cynical. She's liberal. I see where the conflict with Jaden comes in. And the 'I'm not married, but blah, blah blah,' part? I see what's coming next."

Sakura and Ronin didn't seem surprised, but Katie and Toklata watched him with interest.

"I'm sure you think you do, and I'm sure you're close," Ronin said coolly, glancing at the General from the corner of his eye. "But I doubt you'll get it right."

They were sitting with their feet in a cool stream, a bright moon above them. It was warm enough out to do so since they had drifted farther and farther from the chilly mountains, and they often stopped to relax like this, since there really was no planned destination.

"Okay," Ishin said, looking back at Ronin with eyes that were actually full of interest, not at all cynical. "I say, Itaru is Rai's boyfriend…or whatever it's called…but he's always busy, so you steal her from him. Easy as that."

Katie and Toklata made "oh" faces, sure that he'd got it. It did make sense, though for Itaru to become so upset over something like that…

"Wrong," Sakura informed him cheerily. "But it was a nice guess. Roden's tendencies of flirting with married women and Rai's quiet rebelliousness seems to make it fit. But you've forgot about something."

Ronin continued for her. "I dodged Rai's flirting for quite a while, and I'm pretty sure I could've ignored her for the rest of my life if I needed to. But then something else happened."

Ishin paused, looking down at the stream for a long time.

"I know," Toklata piped up suddenly, and everyone looked expectantly to her. "I'm not book smart or nothing…but you wouldn't be telling us about the Shinsengumi if they didn't have something to do with it all, I think. So what happened?"

Before Ronin could tell them, Sakura cut in, intending to keep mysterious about it. "February 23rd is what happened. You have to bear in mind that Roden and Rai weren't the only meant-to-be lovers kept apart because of the chaos in Kyoto. Within the story of Roden and Rai, underneath everything else, is a true Romeo and Juliet tale. It's hard to spot: Our star-crossed lovers hid things quite well…until everything went wrong. But it's a while before that. Kudos if you can figure out what's coming. Well, that's enough for tonight, yes?"

A/N- Well that explains why she's such a snob… I'm only joking, of course. 3 Anyway, there you have it: Roden and Rai, the nobodies. And a whole chapter without the Shinsengumi. I'm very proud of myself. Well. that's about it, really. And Romeo and Juliet? No prizes for guessing who they are, but I will be impressed. Any Shinsengumi freak would know what's coming when they hear "February 23rd," but you guys are lucky. It's a surprise; an angsty scene that I can't wait to write, but it's a way's away.

Next Chapter: Rai and Roden meet again at the Gion Festival, where Jaden also pokes her nose into things, much to everyone's distress. Luckily, Rai gracefully tells her off twice in one night, and makes an interesting discovery in the process.


	5. Chance Meeting

Rai's okiya was much nicer than Sakura's

Ah, here we go. I don't know how long it was this time. Meh.

Deshi: Student

Chapter Five: Chance Meeting

Rai's okiya was much nicer than Sakura's. Intricate paper lanterns hung around the whole perimeter, and the front shoji was decorated with soft pink painted vine flowers. While Roden stood admiring its aesthetics, however, Rai thought nothing of it, and walked towards the shoji with a touch of boredom laced within her sullen stride. She seemed disappointed to be back.

Roden was still slightly in awe after finding out that she was a geisha. Her kimono, though more than, say, a farmer's wife would have, seemed to be too plain for a geisha to wear, and she hadn't at all tried to extract money from him. She was sullen and miserable rather than bubbly and mischievously flirty, and rather than trying to seduce him, she had seemed to be trying to insult him. Besides that, she should have been working.

As he was trying to figure this great mystery out, she looked back at him, frowning slightly. "You realize that we will most likely never see each other again, Roden?"

"...Aa. Sayonara...Rai."

With that, she bowed politely, pulled open the shoji, and stepped inside, leaving him alone in the dark night.

Sakura and Jaden abruptly halted their game of go as two window bars were popped out of place and a clay jug was violently hurled from said window at the head of the smaller one. She caught it with a single hand, pulled the cork from its top, and sniffed suspiciously at it contents.

"Sake for me?" Jaden noted, surprised. "Smells expensive, Ro-chan. What's it for, anyway?"

Roden grunted noncommittally as his head popped into view while he put the bars back in place, yet again. She must have taken the gift to be an apology for his earlier morbid attitude, as she didn't question him further.

"Anyway, the sun is coming up, so we'd better get to the Gardens, ne?" he said. Jaden stood up in answer. "See ya, Sakura-neesan," he bode, waving.

Jaden frowned. "But we have to finish—no, you're right. If we kept up this game, I would lose. And I _hate_ to lose."

Sakura was obviously tired. Her shoulders were droopy and her eyes half-open, and yet she was managing to win, which was strange--Jaden did abhor losing and Sakura usually let her win. She managed to wave lightly back to Roden as he released himself from the window, landing below with the soft sound of ruffled dirt and headed for the front of the teahouse, while Jaden threw on her straw hat and left as Kazunori Toshiro, still eying the sake her assistant had given to her, and puzzling over how she would get it past the okiya's owner without notice should she still be stalking about.

The pair met up at the front of the building, when Jaden was finally able to get out. They began walking slowly towards the dense wood that surrounded the small city, the kitsune humming lightly, and Roden in deep thought. Until, that is, they reached the edge of the woods, and the former happily began babbling.

"Tomorrow night, we're going to Greater Kyoto for the Gion Festival!" she said cheerily, taking off the woven hat. "Won't that be fun?!"

"Mm. Will you be going as Takoda Jaden or Kazunori Toshiro?"

"Both!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "I wanted you to ask that. See, I want to go and enjoy myself, but people will think it odd if Kazunori isn't there. So I'm going to be changing back and forth. That'll be a challenge, ne?!"

"Mm."

She stopped and pouted curtly at him. "Are you listening?!" she demanded. "What is up with you?!"

"I'm just thinking, and _you're_ interrupting me."

"You?" she gasped sarcastically, struggling to drape an arm around his shoulder. When she finally jumped high enough, she dangled there for a few seconds before dropping again. "Thinking? Ha! About what?"

Roden slapped her away. "Leave me alone, Kitsune. I got you that expensive sake, keep in mind."

Jaden grunted grudgingly and kept quiet, but continuously snuck peeks at her deshi's face. He was deep in thought, his eyes cloudy and unfocused, and from time to time his scowl would deepen.

They reached the Gardens just before sunrise, Jaden half asleep with Roden too consumed in his own thoughts to say anything to her (though the constant swigs from her sake jug weren't helping either), and Roden himself walking into nearly every tree they passed.

"Ah," Jaden mumbled, shaking her assistant's arm faintly. She collapsed gracelessly into a bed of soft blue flowers, falling asleep almost instantly, while Roden continued walking, settling down on the bench where he had watched Rai softly examine the garden only an hour or two earlier. It was unsettling to think that their paths would never again intertwine, and so he filled his head with possible scenarios where that was not the case. He didn't understand why—her smartass behavior was more irritating than entertaining, or at least that was how he had felt earlier.

After an hour of restlessly changing positions on the hard bench and trying to find a decent way to meet up with the young geisha again, fatigue came over him, and Roden simply accepted that he would never again be criticized by her dark eyes or challenged by her sharp tongue.

He looked upwards, watching the stars and moon fade away with the coming of dawn, until sleep took him.

Takoda Jaden was a woman of no more than five feet (her raven ponytail was longer than her body), and perhaps brushed one hundred pounds when soaking wet, but she certainly knew how to get exactly what she wanted, like some foul kitsune. She bitched and snapped and always made her opinion well known to everyone around her, and always insisted it to be the "correct opinion," could there ever be such a thing. But she took almost everything with a wicked smile, and sent dry or sarcastic comments to anyone and everyone, constantly making crude jokes and comments with her sour little grin.

Hiroshi Sakura was elegantly and gently beautiful. Everything about her seemed to consist of soft curves, and though she was much taller than Jaden, was really only average height. Unlike her best friend, she was very soft-spoken and polite, and always remained as ladylike as possible, keeping her body wrapped up in conservative kimonos, and her dark brunette hair neat, always with an expensive-looking comb tucked into it somewhere in decoration. She never rose her voice, and always looked like she would fit right into a tragic play, with her sad chocolate-colored eyes.

The young man walking between the two of them at the Gion Festival (Sakura in a royal blue and golden kimono and full makeup, and Jaden picking uncomfortably at her ill-fitting kimono, looking restless without a katana) was bound to earn a few stares. This unfortunate young man was not Sakura's suitor, or Jaden's whatever-they-were-called, but the horribly abused Roden, who lacked a date himself.

Sakura's _danna_, Kazunori Toshiro, wasn't able to escort her at the particular moment, as he was...well, the woman on the other side of Roden. The man who had held Jaden's interest a week ago, upon making a cruel joke about the Shinsengumi's First-Unit Captain Okita Souji, had mysteriously disappeared and thus could not attend.

This left Roden, who had forgotten about the festival, and therefore forgotten to go out in search of a young woman looking for an escort.

The trio was content to walk around aimlessly, admiring the bright lights and general happiness of Kyoto, the war at a temporary standstill. Sakura stopped every few moments to ogle at jewelry shoved into her face by the crowd of street vendors (as also Jaden did with food), but they quickly continued on at the sight of the prices. Roden, on the other hand, poked Jaden hard in the ribs every time they passed a wordsmith. (Unfortunately, she would answer with, "Ow! Your current sword is fine! Why do you think you need a new one?! What?! A longer blade?! Are you trying to compensate for something...?" All of this was said so loudly that Roden immediately began walking again, red-faced.)

Finally, they settled silently on a bridge, Jaden and Roden sipping at sake saucers, and Sakura doing the same with her mug of herbal tea, watching the water calmly run under it amongst the crowd. It was a little less crowded than the vendor's stalls, which helped, but Kyoto summers were always disgustingly hazy, hot, and humid. Looking mournfully into the river, Roden wished that he could jump without looking like a suicidal moron who was heartbroken by the revolts against the Bakufu.

Two rich-looking men passed them, speaking quietly, and the peace was broken as Jaden watched them pass coolly and then wordlessly dashed off in the opposite direction, into an alleyway. Several minutes later, she strode past her two companions again, woven hat shading her face, long gray hakama flowing, and gi pulled tightly around her.

"Makeup," Sakura and Roden hissed in unison as she stalked briskly past them. She waved distractedly at them and wiped her painted lips clean with a midnight blue sleeve.

Once she was out of sight, Sakura let out an exasperated sigh. "If we didn't catch that... She's killing me."

Roden smiled. "Both of us. Is there anything you would like to do while she's off playing dress-up?"

She shrugged lightly. "I'm sure that you don't want to look at kimonos, Ro. Perhaps swords...?"

"Nah," he argued, shaking his head. "If you want to go look at kimonos, it's my duty to escort you there, Sakura-neesan. The Kitsune's not gonna buy me a sword no matter how much I beg, so that's worthless. But you deserve a new outfit or two. You work hard."

"What's with this sudden appreciation for me?" she laughed.

"Being a geisha isn't very glamorous, ne?"

Her bright red lips dropped, but she recovered very quickly, shoving back on her sweet-sad smile. "Ro, there's no need for you to concern yourself over that."

He shrugged. "Let's go to a silk vendor."

"Ro--"

"Look at you, Sakura-neesan," he sighed, motioning to all of her intricate geisha-makeup, and then to her pretty but worn-out kimono. "You need something that goes better with your eyes."

Sakura gave in at his his seeming desperation, admitting that she could use a new casual kimono ("But _only _one, Ro.") rather sheepishly, and thanking him. The pair left the bridge and trudged back into the mess of happy lovers and friends, headed for the nearest kimono vendor.

Sakura turned circles, holding an ocean blue kimono with a rich brown obi that did, in fact, go well with her eyes, up to her body. However, all Roden could do was scowl, as he was sane enough to recognize that the shade of blue she had chosen was just about the same shade of blue that marched in groups throughout the city, claiming to be the Shinsengumi, the protectors of Kyoto. (Who, he had noticed with satisfaction, were still generally hated by the public.)

"Yes, yes," he sighed. "It looks nice. You're planning on joining the Wolves of Mibu too, just like my dear shishou, the kitsune?"

He could've sworn he'd seen a blush through all of her white makeup. "Don't call your mentor a kitsune, Ro," she stammered in sisterly reply.

"Don't be embarrassed. The Kitsune is still their number-one fan... Seriously now, I was thinking more like something a blood red color, Sakura-neesan."

She smiled. "Ro, that's awful! Red is such a--" She looked around to make sure no one was within hearing distance. "Red is such a typical vampire color! Where's the originality in that?" She glanced over his dark yukata, and added teasingly, "Of course, so is black."

"I don't wear black because I want to be a creepy vampire-of-folklore," he whined. "I'm wearing this because the Kitsune told me to make myself presentable, and this is the only dress yukata I have."

"Roden?"

Both turned to face the source of the soft voice; another geisha. Her face was painted white, and her lips a rosy magenta, while her pink sakura-littered kimono, red under-kimono, and matching magenta shawl looked...pricey, to put it mildly. The sakura blossoms on it were either silver or magenta, and trailed from her hips to the kimono's end, down the hem, where a sakura tree sat, and it ended up giving the impression of the petals falling off and being scooped up with the wind. Her silver hair was done up in a style that must have taken hours to get just right, and she even had bits of jewelry on. Her eyelids were also lightly tinted with a soft rose color, and her cheeks had the faintest hint of blush across them.

Roden stared blankly at her for a few minutes in confusion, before taking note of the odd hair color, curt pout, and blank sapphire eyes, which stood out rebelliously against her clothes, and realizing whom the young lady before him was. He didn't bother apologizing for examining her so rudely, but began to stutter.

"...Rai...Rai!" he stammered pathetically. "You look so...different all dressed up."

"You don't approve," she deadpanned.

"You look better in earth-tones," he admitted, figuring that he wouldn't be able to lie to her, especially since her reply hadn't even been a question. For good measure, he continued, "And without all of that white stuff gobbed onto your face."

"I am happy you think so," she replied plainly, baffling him greatly. He _had_ been bordering on calling her ugly, after all.

Sakura watched on with glittering, prying eyes. "You two know each other, it seems," she nearly sang.

Roden recognized how her voice had suddenly picked up and grimaced visibly. Jaden and Sakura held a never-ending argument over whether he would ever find a woman that he truly loved. Jaden insisted that he was far too shallow for this, but Sakura, being the nice one, bet against that. So far, Jaden was winning, and in truth, Roden agreed with her. Not the "shallow" part, but in general. Women who stuck around for too long tended to become hard to care for. He would have to buy them things and protect them, and in the end would just outlive them, so he saw no purpose in keeping them around. Plus, there was no perfection with the silly creatures; they all had something wrong with them. Short romances were best.

"Know each other?" he answered skeptically. "No, not really."

"Naoko Rai," Rai interrupted politely, bowing.

"And I'm Sakura, of the Botan okiya," Sakura said with an equal amount of manners, bowing back.

Watching them, Roden scowled, wondering why the former had chosen to be so informal with him the night before, when she was so obviously well-rehearsed with a proper greeting (and, most likely, a proper "thank-you").

"So how_ do_ you know this young lady, Ro-chan?" Sakura asked again.

"Well," he growled, making a point to sound irritated with the both of them, "we spent last night talking about...politics."

"How romantic."

"Oh yes, politics are very romantic. Right, Rai?"

She was about to sweetly retaliate (he could see it in her soft but lit-up, almost fox-like expression), but suddenly froze as she caught sight of Rai's upper kimono again. All sparkle and mischievous ideas of matchmaking seemed to fade from her dark eyes, and she ended up simply bowing again. "Gomen, Ro," she apologized. "It is rude of me to prod around after you were so kind tonight. I'm going to go search for Ja--Toshiro-sama, and leave you two be. We'll meet up later. Sayonara, Naoko-san." With a rather nervous stride, she pushed out of the crowd and took off in the direction of the bridge that they had come from, a strained smile splitting her painted features.

Roden sighed, thinking with fond exasperation that Sakura could be as devious as Jaden half of the time. A huge weight had seemed to lift from his chest when Sakura had left, and he finally focused on Rai. "Sorry about that," he said, shrugging lightly and dragging a hand through his black locks. Then, nosily and selfishly, he asked, "You're not here with anyone?"

"You mean a client?" she responded, not quite focusing on him. "Sort of. He is here somewhere...with my oneesan." Her voice turned a little frigid with mention of this older sister, but Roden didn't completely catch it because of his surprise of hearing that she had any family at all. He had simply made the assumption that she was orphaned, or had been sold to her okiya as a maid.

"He has come to see me on many occasions, and has helped me a lot," she continued, oblivious of his dreadful thoughts. "But...I wanted to step away for a moment."

"Oh," he said lightly, trying not to sound disheartened—hell, not even understanding why he _would_ sound disheartened. "So there'll be no stargazing with me tonight?"

"You act as if you were planning this," Rai noted dryly, which he suspected was the closest she was going to get to any humor. "But I will step outside with you, as it will be far easier for my young patron to find me out there. And while we are there, we may happen to...'glance in the stars' general direction.'"

Without waiting for approval, or any reply at all for that matter, Rai turned and slipped quietly through the colorful tresses of silk kimono and yukata around the shop, into the cool night air outside. Roden followed after her like a small child terrified of losing himself in the mess and the noise of the city, taking a great deal of care not to reach out and grasp her kimono sleeve. (Because when it came down to it, he was sure that if he lost sight of her, she wouldn't bother to come back and find him.)

She continued pushing through the crowd with muttered, uncaring pleasantries to those who spoke to her for some time, with him concentrating on the various hair ornaments protruding from the back of her silver head, as she bowed to nearly all of them. Some--most of them, actually--seemed surprised to see her out, but he dismissed this. The sound of her footsteps were muffled by the huge chatter coming upon them on all sides, but he noticed that they seemed even ghostlier that night despite all of the noise, because her poor legs were far more confined in the kimono she was stuffed into at that time than the one he had last seen her in.

Somewhere along the line, she paused at a stall selling sweets and looked everything over.

"Where are we going, exactly?" he asked as he caught right up to her with her lapse, looking over Kyoto's various delicacies as well.

"A bridge over the river. It will be the easiest place for him to find me," she answered, deciding on and pointing lightly to a bag of brown sugar candy, and then some red bean paste. Money and the sweets changed hands.

He nodded, though she didn't need nor want any advice on the topic, obviously, and she, with him still in tow, continued deeper into the city, passing an annoying amount of beautiful swords and their genius creators. He would have sworn that Rai and Jaden were conspiring together to make his life miserable if he hadn't known better.

At last, they found a small bridge hanging over the river that wasn't horribly crowded, and they settled on its edge, leaning to stare at the calm waters. The land on either side of it was dotted with sakura trees, bare of their blossoms, but lush and green in the city's lamplight. And the addition of Rai opening the sweets she had bought and laying them out for the both of them made the situation all the more pleasant.

"It's so peaceful now," she noted quietly after a long lapse of silence, picking out a piece of brown sugar candy and sighing before pushing it between her lips.

"Aa," he agreed. "It hasn't rained lately--"

"No...I mean Kyoto," she corrected, almost sounding broody.

"...Aa," he agreed again, catching on. "The Bakumatsu has come to a standstill for the festival."

They relaxed again—as her only reply was to inform him that she didn't even like candy and that she wondered why she had bought any—and fell silent for a short while, as people of all social classes crossed over the river quickly behind them. It wasn't an awkward silence, but one where all was understood without more than a few words.

And with horrible timing as usual, a certain _businessman_ happened to find herself crossing that same peaceful bridge, and their comfortable quiet was shattered. She stood quietly behind the two, unnoticed, for several minutes, taking in the girl's wealthy appearance. Then, "Konnichi'wa, Roden-kun!"

He turned ready to whine at her for sneaking up on them, but noted quickly that she was still playing a part, and relaxed. "Kazunori-_san,"_ he muttered. "I didn't see you there."

"Of course, baka. You were turned in the opposite direction. Now don't be rude, boy, introduce me to this young lady by your side."

Under the woven hat, he knew that Jaden's bright green eyes were twinkling with wicked glee, as if her small, visible grin weren't enough to give it away. Looking like Kazunori, he knew that he couldn't tell her to mind her own business without making a scene, or push her off the bridge for that matter, and couldn't think of any other way to be rid of her. Grudgingly, he answered.

"An acquaintance," he nearly growled, stiffly, after running over a few more ideas that might have gotten him out of the Kitsune's mind games and dismissing them all. "Naoko Rai. Rai-san, this is Kazunori Toshiro-san."

"I am pleased to meet you, Kazunori-san," Rai answered stiffly, bowing very slightly. "And please, Roden, I've asked you before not to use the honorific."

"You two seem rather familiar," Jaden replied, taking note of the geisha's rather unwilling bow. "Have you known each other long?"

"Why don't you just go ask my shishou?" Roden snapped nastily, noting how Jaden always seemed to be able to make him angry, and cursing that odd talent of hers. "You two are close friends, ne? And we all know what a sneaking, gossiping_ kitsune_ my shishou is, so--"

"Because, Roden-_chan_, I am here, speaking with you right now, and--"

Rai cut them short, clearing her throat softly, but enough to catch their attention. "With all due respect, Kazunori-san, that's really none of your business," she said coolly, locking gazes with Jaden, who had lifted her eyes in surprise, leaving them uncovered. "Your business," Rai went on calmly, crossing her arms, "deals mostly in worn-out traditions and foolish morals, if I remember properly."

After a few moments of stubborn staring, Jaden's mouth snapped shut, forming into one of her characteristic tight frowns. "Forgive me, Naoko-san, Roden-kun," she replied curtly, grudgingly nodding her head in something of a bow. "You're correct. And I do have more pressing matters than puppy love to attend to." With that, she strutted away hotly, looking very female and nearly blowing her cover.

The pair on the bridge watched her calmly, safe for the moment.

"I apologize," Roden said, once he was sure that Jaden was no longer in the immediate vicinity. "You told me last night that you didn't much like Kazunori Toshiro, and now you must think him even worse."

"A bit," she sighed honestly. "If anyone is a dog to the Tokugawa, it is that man."

"Agreed."

"Who's a dog?" Jaden asked, poking her head between them.

"Kami-sama! Don't jump out of nowhere like that, Kitsune!" Roden snarled, upset that he was ambushed by two people who were really one person in the same night, and also marveling over how fast she had changed into a kimono.

"I wonder, Ro-chan, have you seen Kazunori-san around?" she asked slyly.

"Just sent the bastard on his way. He was being damn nosy."

"Maa, don't speak of him like that. Now, who is this lady friend of yours?"

He sighed, exasperated with his mentor's need to destroy any happiness he held. "Naoko Rai, a friend. Rai—My _dear_ shishou, Takoda Jaden."

Rai's brow furrowed ever so slightly as he made the introductions, waving a lazy hand toward each woman as he dully repeated their names, but she quickly pulled herself together. Almost quickly enough for Roden not to notice, but not quite.

They bowed sweetly—he was becoming quite accustomed to seeing Rai's back, and her various hair trinkets that night, and it was somehow annoying—and Jaden pulled out first, looking Rai over again, but not as discreetly this time.

"A pleasure, Rai-san," Jaden said laughingly as the young woman pulled herself out of her gracious, flowing bow slowly. "Your name has simple beauty. I like it."

Rai seemed slightly taken aback at this remark, but in a good way; as if it were some small, pleasant surprise waiting for her after a bad day. "Thank you, Jaden-san. That's...just so good to hear. And yours is so...exotic."

The older woman tore her gaze away, suddenly taking intense interest in the nails on her left hand. "My mother was a foreigner," she muttered. "I took her name, and she gave me her eyes."

Rai recognized it as somewhat of an untouchable right away, and coolly changed to subject, looking up at the stars. "I see... So you're Roden's shishou?"

Jaden perked up right away at the almost-mention of her art of choice, swordsmanship, and raised her eyes to meet Rai's again, grinning. "Yep!" she laughed, raising an arm to hide her mouth to accent her cruel, teasing eyes. "He may be completely incompetent, but with a teacher like me, he's guaranteed to be a great swordsman! But still..." She lowered her arm. He smirk wasn't as wide anymore, but it was still there. "I just can't help but wonder why a pretty girl like you has such an interest in this good-for-nothing bum. Someone dressed like you can't deserve anyone less than Kondou-san!"

Rai shook her head, almost smiling. Almost. "Well...I would prefer Katsura-san by far."

"Katsura..." Jaden mumbled questioningly, a frown finally claiming her features as she struggled to think of whom Rai could be referring to. After a few silent moments, realization washed over her face, and her green eyes widened as if in horror. "Katsura...Kogoro?! As in the Choshu traitor?! Runaway Kogoro?!"

Rai nearly winced. "Rebel is a far nicer word, Jaden-san."

"You're...anti-Bakufu?" the woman mumbled numbly, staring at Rai as if she had suddenly developed a disgusting and extremely contagious disease.

After their initial introduction, Roden had stayed out of the two women's conversation, as they had seemed to actually be getting along fairly well. But now, at Jaden's forlorn words, he snapped back to that reality. Oh, yes. He had forgotten about _that._

"Yes," Rai answered, after a pause. "But then, I don't know who_ would_ still support the ignorant and weak Tokugawa."

"O-oh?" the vampire answered in a hot, indignant tone. It was very obvious by her frigid voice that their conversation was done with. "Well, I'm afraid that I have to go. I'll see _you_ later, Ro-chan." And then, whether she realized it or not, Jaden took off with the same stuck-up strut that she had carried herself away with as Kazunori, choosing not to bow this time.

Again they waited until she was long gone before speaking.

"I hope that I didn't get you into trouble with her," Rai said seriously.

"Nah, she won't care that much," Roden lied quickly. He knew that she knew that he was making light, but they both ignored it. "You seemed surprised about something. Was it because you didn't think that my shishou was a woman?"

"No."

"What?"

She sighed deeply and said softly, "Are you aware that Jaden-san and Kazunori Toshiro are one in the same?"

Roden wasn't sure if he wanted to hit her or kiss her for being so clever.

A/N—She _is_ a clever one, that Rai. Especially when it comes to pissing Jaden off. Eh… Plenty more chance meetings to come. God knows what I'm going to call those chapters. Oh well. Please do R&R, if you're out there.

Next Chapter: Roden and Rai exchange more deep, trusting thoughts before the latter's worried patron shows up—A young, idealistic, Western-obsessed, _annoying _diplomat-samurai who goes by the name of Outa Itaru. Oh boy. And after dodging several other annoying people, Roden notes a blonde kunoichi on a roof, and finds… what?! A former lover of Jaden's?! No, but she wishes.


	6. Trust and Lies

"What

Tenchuu—A term used mostly among the Choshu meaning 'Heavenly Punishment.'

Kunoichi—A term used for a female ninja.

Chapter Six:

"What?!" Roden snapped.

"You didn't know?" Rai asked unhappily.

"No! I knew...but you knew too!" he stuttered, causing a few eyes to fall upon them. "H-How?!"

"Keep your voice down, please, Roden. I'm sure it is not something you want to spread around Kyoto."

He lowered his tone to something that was barely audible. "How?" he asked again, and those who had turned to look at the pair now continued steadily on their way.

"Their movements are the same," she explained slowly, as if to a young child. "Kazunori is taller, and doesn't have her shape, but that is easily fixed with bindings and padding and different shoes. She appeared mere moments after him, from the opposite direction, asking if we had seen him, with a sloppily put together kimono and no makeup. She asked the same thing as Kazunori, and they both seemed to annoy you an equal amount... They both go rigid when it comes to current politics—especially when it comes to the Choshu—and they both have those haunting eyes the color of a cat's. I suppose that's the reason for the rice hat, but she did accidentally look right at me as Kazunori... Should I continue?"

"Rai..."

"It is not_ that_ obvious," she consoled. "It was really mostly a guess, which you gave me the answer to. And I don't think she'll try to pull stunts like that around anyone other than you, so her secret is safe, unless she were to get drunk and tell someone silly enough to believe her."

(And Roden sighed, as he could see that happening.)

"But—" he began, but Rai placed a slim hand on one of his own hands, cutting him short.

"Roden, please. I understand the seriousness of the situation, and I assure you, I will not tell a soul. Please, trust me."

Admittedly, it went against his all of Roden's good sense to trust a woman he barely knew with such a big secret, and a lot of geisha were known to be gossipy and dishonest, which discouraged it further. He realized this, and so locked gazes grimly with her, and he was sure his face seemed almost angry, or foreboding, as if he were searching through her soul to see if she was untrustworthy. But, she didn't squirm under his hitokiri's eyes at all. In fact, she kept her own dark sapphire eyes locked onto his until he himself began to feel rather embarrassed and looked away. "I know," he finally sighed, because something in expression her had prompted him to _want_ to believe her. A chilling sense of being somehow connected with her had passed through him from her doll's eyes, and it felt as if she had gone ahead and dumped a bucket of fresh river water over his head.

_ That and..._

His hand moved to the katana on his hip, the one he had forgotten he had on him until that point.

_That and, if she can't be trusted, it'll be up to me to make sure she doesn't say a word of it..._

Rai must have noticed the almost unconscious movement of his hand to the top of his sword's handle, because she quietly asked, "And if you were unsure, would you silence me?"

Though he had been thinking of the same thing as the words left her lips, he was still somehow taken aback by her question. Coming from her, it sounded much more terrible, more real...and it sounded accusing. She was accusing him of being a murderer. And worse, as he tried to tell her that it was silly, that he would never cut down an innocent, his mouth refused to open, which left his mind to fill with unsure contradictions.

Roden wasn't someone naive enough to think that a sword could create anything. But his mind, for whatever reason, sometimes did like to slip into an idealistic lie: only killing evil people wasn't a bad thing at all. But Rai, so blunt, had slammed onto him the grim truth: he was no god, and he wasn't free to decide who was evil and who wasn't. Considering further, he was terrified to find that, if he hadn't branded the young woman trustworthy, then he probably_ would_ have killed her, from stubborn loyalty to Jaden. Surely, if this were the case, and he didn't cut her down, she would somehow alert the Choshu Clan, and it would end up causing Jaden, and possibly many more of those still loyal to the Shogun, quite a bit of trouble. And in the end, he would be the root of it all, of course, and someone else, probably Jaden herself, would slaughter Rai.

"Even divine justice,_ tenchuu_, is murder," she continued when he failed to answer. "But for a warrior, loyalty is sometimes stronger than one's conscience. Would you silence me, Roden?"

"...I don't know," he answered simply, noting with some surprise that she had actually managed to give him a headache, but attempting to hide it.

"But I do wonder now," she continued. "There is something odd about you. You, Jaden-san, and Sakura-san... But I can't quite place what it is..."

Concentrating on her pretty sapphire eyes, he scowled before turning up his nose. "Well, there's something strange about you too, geisha girl. Don't act so high and mighty."

"Mm," she presumably agreed, though she didn't seem entirely happy with this answer.

"Ah! Rai!"

They turned to awkwardly face a young man roughly Rai's own age. His hair was an unnatural brown-blonde hue, as if he had tried to bleach it (and it certainly seemed to be getting him attention, if that was what he had wanted). Angled bangs fell across his innocent countenance, while the back was neat and ended at his neck, and he was dressed in a Western-styled suit with round glasses perched on his small nose, but the dark brunette sticking out from the roots of his hair was a tip off that he actually was Japanese. One of those idiots for extreme westernization, no doubt.

He had been walking quickly towards them, grinning broadly like a child, but had stopped halfway there, when his brain fully registered Roden's presence. His innocent smile fell. "Who...is this?" he asked.

"A customer, Takoda Roden." Rai answered quickly, coldly. "He was kind enough to escort me until I was able to find you...or my oneesan again. Roden, this is my...customer and childhood friend, Outa Itaru."

Outa grimaced boyishly. "Customer is an awful word, Rai," he laughed.

"It is a true word," she replied simply, in her usual bored voice. "Anyway, did you find Imari-chan?

Outa's face fell briefly. The sour look didn't fit him. "I wasn't looking for her," he said carelessly, adopting a smile again. "She's probably out of the capital by now."

Roden began to bow and mumble pleasantries as Outa focused on him again and made his way closer to them. He expected Outa to mimic the respectful gesture, but he instead grasped Roden's hand and shook it roughly.

"A hand shake, that's called," he explained, which thoroughly annoyed Roden, as he already knew that. "It's what they do in the West."

"Aa," he answered, trying to sound interested.

"Anyway, I left Rai to look at kimonos, and then couldn't find her again! Imagine my embarrassment and worry, Takoda-san! Arigato, arigato, for escorting her until I did!"

"Aa," he said again.

Outa grasped Rai's hand gently, as if afraid of loosing her again, before a broad, embarrassed smile decorated his face again. "Not much of a talker, huh?" he asked. "I could see how you two might get along."

"Aa."

Roden realized that his tone was turning very frigid very quickly and wondered faintly why. Though he had just met him, Outa's bubbly attitude seemed to be getting on his nerves. After Rai's quiet intelligence, though, he supposed any sudden loud noise would hurt his ears just as much. "Anyway," he went on, "I guess I should go find my master now that you're in good hands." Albeit, they were annoying hands, but he seemed like an overall nice kid.

"Please take the candy with you," she said in farewell. "I really don't like it."

He grudgingly stuffed the two bags of candy into the sleeve of his yukata, bowed, then left sourly, thinking that their rendezvous had ended far too early.

While he walked, Roden's mind turned. Outa had been friendly with Rai, but she certainly hadn't seemed too thrilled about _him_. Her introverted personality was rather amusing, he thought, and hoped that he would meet with her sarcasm again. She was odd. Human, but smart, and so subtly pretty. He thought fleetingly that it was a shame that Outa had gotten to her first, but then told himself that she was far too intelligent to fall for his charms, and too cold to care for. Undoubtedly she made a better verbal companion than wife.

He figured it to be around midnight, maybe a bit later, so it would be odd for Jaden or Sakura to be back to the gardens already, when the former had so many men to toy with and the latter had so much time to herself, for once. No reason to go back there. And he wasn't really in the mood for any sake, or in the mood to stare at all of the beautiful swords that he would never own.

Thinking about it, all that he really wanted to do was converse with Rai some more. Her alternate views were a refreshing change to Jaden and Sakura's. Maybe he could even learn some of her speaking skills and convince Jaden to leave the Shinsengumi be. (It was a nice thought, but there was really no way of doing that, he realized. Still, making a convincing argument might slow her down, at least.)

Suddenly, he sensed Sakura's presence and looked up to find her briskly walking towards him. "Thanks for not sneaking up, Sakura-neesan," he thanked her. But as she got closer, he realized that her pretty features were riddled with worry. Once she was in arm's reach, she took his shoulders (with the tall zouri she had on at the moment, she was easily tall enough to do so) and nearly pushed him up against a nearby tree.

"Jaden was very upset about something, Ro," she hissed.

"Was she?"

"Don't act all innocent," she teased, smiling slightly through her false anger. "Does it have something to do with that young woman? Hm?"

"I'm sure my shishou has already told you the entire story."

" 'Oh, _please_, Roden, I've asked you before not to add the _honorific_ to my naaaame!' " Jaden slurred mockingly, stepping out of the shadows from behind him. She giggled and continued. "A Choshu _whore_ like myself is not worthy of such things!"

"She is _not._" Roden snapped childishly.

Jaden, who had been walking dainty, mock circles around him, now stopped in front of him, eyes wide and falsely sad, and a mocking frown on her lips. "Isn't she, though? She is a geisha, and yet she's hanging around with a street ronin, acting rather cozy. And not asking for pay! Sakura, is that not wrong of a geisha?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Jaden, real geisha are incapable of feeling love," she answered sarcastically. "Or any emotion, for that matter. So the fact that she perhaps found a man who is willing to just talk with her and hear her out as an equal definitely makes her a whore. I'm tired. I'm going home." She stalked away, nose high in the air, as Jaden watched in stupidity for a few moments, green eyes confused.

Then she cursed and took off after her, stumbling in her unfamiliar heeled zouri, and howling, "Sakura! Wait! I offended you, right?!"

Roden watched them go with a sigh. Best friends they may have been, but they had their severe differences, and an argument was always only a few words away. It was to be expected, though. A swordswoman and a geisha could_ never_ co-exist without _some_ arguments.

A swords_man_ and a geisha, however...

He grunted unhappily to himself as Rai once again wriggled into his thoughts, very much against his will. He tried to think about something (_anything_) else, to take his mind off of the woman, and ended up turning to the only other thing that was going on at the moment.

Being born right in the middle of the American Revolution, he could easily see the good and the evil in both those loyal to the Shogun and the Revolutionaries, but at that moment, was completely set on choosing a side, even if he didn't mention it to anyone, and got to work sorting out the mess of samurai from different clans that were running around the Kyoto night. With Rai still floating around in his head, he started with her party of choice.

The Choshu's goal was to modernize Japan and restore the emperor to power, as to prevent it from being taken over by powerful Western nations, who were suddenly quite taken to colonizing every piece of land they set foot on. They also seemed to be a little better to common people than the Shogun, and were acting almost like police when it came to finding and disposing of slave traders and their illegal children's brothels. It was earning them quite a bit of support from the farmers and peasants of the area.

But they still failed to realize that a revolution would leave the nation fairly weak. And, they weren't leaning on destroying Japan's rich past with martial arts, but if they won, there would be no future for the samurai. Thousands of swordsmen with no other skills would be out of work, and would probably end up gambling or stealing like they were never anything but common bandits. And Choshu men were typically samurai from the country, and could be rather rowdy and ill mannered when they weren't_ completely_ focused on their ideals.

Enter the Shogunate. Their main goal was, of course, to preserve the Shogun's power and Japan's rich culture, but in the end, they weren't the ones lashing out and attacking. They were patrolling the streets not to kill, but to defend Kyoto and its citizens. And they honored the samurai's code with their fierce loyalty.

_But still_, he wondered. _Isn't it..._okay_ to break ties of loyalty when the situation is desperate?_

Masses of people—meaning those who weren't samurai—were dying in the Bakufu alliance, and from just about everything. Starvation, slavery, bandits... Perhaps it really was time for change.

Still, the Choshu were generally exclusionists, and they were forcing "barbarians;" foreigners, from their homes. When they weren't simply killing them, of course. Which not only personally insulted him, but was all around wrong.

He puzzled over the two sides for nearly two hours, sitting by a koi pond by a temple and slowly feeding the fish crumbs of a piece of bread he had found on the ground. In the end, he remained stubbornly neutral. It wasn't his place to interfere, anyway.

_What a colossal waste of time,_ he thought, scowling as he finally gave up on the debate. _But at least it took my mind off Rai for a bit. Too bad arguing with Jaden isn't that fun._

He decided then to go out into the countryside and bathe before morning came, and stood up and stretched. It was late enough now that only the real night owls were still hanging around the festival, and the majority of them were in bars drinking anyway. He got no sour looks or worried glances.

On the way, he thought he recognized a smiling man with a pair of round glasses walking happily out of a building as Shinsengumi Vice-Commander Yamanami. He really didn't look ill at all, and Roden raised an eyebrow, understanding Hijikata's skeptical behavior from the night before. It was hard to believe that the one Jaden idolized seemed to be skipping out of battles, but she did seem to be more easily tricked by those "nice guy" types.

Then he noticed the pretty kunoichi sitting atop the roof, watching the man intently. And yet...she wasn't at all hard to notice. Her outfit was stealthy black, a shortened kimono that revealed only a trace of white thighs before they disappeared behind long black ninja-tabi. Her arms were covered with armored black and white striped gloves that went up to the point where the cut-off kimono sleeves remained. Black weapons poked out from behind her back and within her netted obi.

But her hair was blonde. Not Outa's false, streaky dirt-blonde, but real, genuine gold. It was parted so far on top of her head and so far to the left that the right half of her face was completely shielded behind a cascading curtain of perfectly straight locks. It was strange to see a kunoichi that wanted to be noticed and who would impediment any of their senses in the name of fashion, even just one eye. He guessed, with amusement, that her bright, long locks made her quite the fun target to her enemies, and wondered if she was there to spy on Yamanami or to protect him.

Dismissing her as a harmless amusement for the time being, Roden continued on down the path, reaching the suburbs, then the country in good time. It was so quiet and peaceful compared to the throbbing noise and life of Kyoto. Here people led simple lives, which had never before seemed quite so appealing to him. Even during the Festival, he was only just coming upon one traveling soul.

He passed the thin, pale man, glancing over at him to smile politely or some such nonsense. The man glanced up at him from under his wide-brimmed farmer's hat with sheepish curiosity, and then just as quickly looked down at his feet when their gazes met. Roden continued on for several paces, telling himself that swords frightened people, that was all, before suddenly pulling into a stop and turning around. "Do I know you?" he asked.

The man stopped rigidly, body language saying that he was clearly mortified. Slowly, he turned to face Roden and nodded once, lifting his woven hat up away from his nervous, tired countenance and forcing a smile. He looked ill and exhausted.

"_Do _I?" Roden asked again, second-guessing himself. The man had seemed vaguely familiar at first glance, but studying him, Roden couldn't seem to put a name or experience with him. Maybe a voice? "_Who _are you?" he asked, puzzled.

The man seemed to be having some moral battle in his mind over whether or not to tell Roden his name. It was then that Roden realized exactly who he was with a soft "Oh!" But then the private war seemed to end, and before Roden's efforts could be credited, the man answered in an Osakan accent, "It's Hoshijiro."

The relatively young man, Tsunai Hoshijiro, was a fragile-looking artist who always seemed to look too tired and too thin, a result of his underpaying career. He wasn't a bad artist—really, he did have quite a talent for woodcuts and ink paintings—but the times simply didn't call for such things, and he was barely able to scrape a living.

Besides him probably weighing less than Jaden at the same height as Sakura, his pale blue eyes always made him look utterly exhausted, and his shabby gi furthered the appearance of a bum. His chocolate-brown hair at least was relatively neat, and he tied what he could of it in a short ponytail that reached just below his shoulder blades but liked to flop around to the front of his neck as if to make itself known. Some bangs that weren't long enough to tie up fell from the part of his hair and around his ears.

He was a coward. There wasn't a drop of noble blood in his entire family's history, and as if to prove it, his personality was fearful and submissive. He was completely subdued around anyone higher class, taller, stronger, or louder than himself, which was a group that nearly everyone in Osaka (and Kyoto, surely) fell in somehow or another. The only people he really seemed to be any good with were the young children. He often used to volunteer his time at orphanages, occupying the children with doodles in the dirt or marbles, despite his own obvious financial problems. Roden thought the man very stupid for wasting time doing something that he wasn't making money on; but then again,_ he_ hated children.

This was the man whom Jaden, upon first laying eyes on him nearly two years before, had developed a severe case of puppy love for.

Their first meeting had been a classic damsel in distress scene, except for that he was the damsel, and she his valiant samurai. Slavers had attacked him, Jaden had hopped in and slaughtered them, and then he had thrown out some thank-yous and compliments. Jaden, being so unused to such treatment from a man, had swooned over him and followed him around—stalked him, really, showing up in his home and work with her horrible cooking, all in Sakura's (admittedly, stolen and poorly-fitting) kimonos—for nearly a week after.

The whole incident had frightened Hoshijiro terribly, and he was left wanting nothing to do with her after Sakura and Roden had finally managed to cure her of her lovesickness. But of course, he was far too polite a person to come right out and tell her so, and so she was able to live in sweet ignorance—the other two vampires had managed to firmly plant in her head that romance was impossible for her adventurous, nomadic lifestyle, despite the fact that they had been in Osaka for quite a while by then. (They left soon after.) Despite that excuse, though, she had still been absolutely heartbroken. For a week. Which was actually a record for her.

Roden laughed cruelly. "Oh, no wonder you didn't want to tell me who you were," he teased. "No worries, I won't tell Jaden you're here."

"Oh no," Hoshijiro implored, putting his hands out and waving them in a "no" sort of way. "Please, if Jaden-san finds out that I knew she was here and neglected her, she would be so upset. You don't have to—"

"_You _don't have to put up with her," Roden corrected him, roughly pulling the man into a headlock and waving his finger at him. "She's got a new crush."

"A-a new one?" he repeated painfully, fruitlessly trying to free his head.

"That's right. A Shinsengumi, too." It was a lie—they weren't crushes. The lot of them were like little brothers to her, while Yamanami was a concerned older brother, and Hijikata...some evil verbal (and physical) punching bag that was perfectly able to punch back. Not crushes, but he wouldn't get anywhere without some exaggeration.

"Shinsengumi," Hoshijiro repeated plainly. His searching but not-quite-questioning tone told Roden that the fragile man had heard of the name, but didn't know a thing other than that. He smirked quickly to himself before putting on a mournful face and releasing the other man.

"Awful fate, ne?" he asked sadly, looking away dolefully. Then, "You don't know who they are, do you?"

Hoshijiro shook his head quickly, a sign for Roden to continue. Roden worked very hard to keep from grinning at his sudden advantage, and quickly prepared some Mibu-ro horror stories.

77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

"You're a troublemaker," Ishin sighed. "No wonder your life is awful; that's called karma."

Katie half-laughed. "Uh, I think there's a bigger issue here. Jaden and love is like...like..."

"Ew," Toklata contributed. "Bu-u-ut, I still think meeting Itaru was the important part, right? You didn't even like him, master."

Ronin glanced quickly up at the trio from a sleeping position and gave them all a skeptical look. "You'd very well do whatever you could to keep the woman you cared about most out of the clutches of the foul Mibu-ro, Ishin; Kaite: No one said it wasn't strange to see Jaden swooning over nothing; and Tokie, Itaru was very annoying first-glance, but he grows on people. He was a bright and optimistic person; it was almost cute at the time. There was nobody else in Kyoto who quite matched his idealism."

Ishin quirked a brow. "I'd believe it. Ronin Takoda just used the word cute—about another man, no less—so at this point I'd believe anything. So we've met Itaru, the cutest, most idealistic young man in Kyoto. Now what?"

"After that, I didn't see Itaru again for a while," Ronin replied tiredly, ignoring Ishin. "How strange; it's like I…forgot about him, even. Forgot…" He lapsed into silence, staring straight ahead into the vast wilderness around them.

A town was close. Sakura had promised to maybe stop and get a good meal once they reached it, maybe even relax in a hotel for a while. Though Ronin had disapproved of this idea, he hadn't been very forceful about it, so Toklata figured they'd still be stopping. However, the idea of a warm bed didn't quite match up with the concern for her master's lack of interest. The story was tearing him apart, making him think about things, she knew, but there was a necessity for it, and a right to know among his traveling companions. Even she wanted badly to hear now that it was going. To know of Rai and of Itaru's relationship, to hear more of Jaden and Hijikata's fighting, to carefully watch the life of Yamanami the outcast, to know who the blonde-haired woman was, and to watch her younger mentor tie in with them all. It was cruel, but she wanted so badly to know.

Feeling guilty, she offered him the chance to refuse again. Snuggling into his side, she piped, "Master, can't we go into town and stay a while?"

"It's a bad idea." He remained staring ahead sleepily. "Potentially, that could involve handfuls of other people in our plight."

"You really think Itaru's following us?" Katie asked worriedly. "Well, I mean, I'm sure he's tried to follow us, but do you really think he could have kept track of us? Even if he found out we had left the same day, we got away from the mountain pretty quickly, and we haven't been heading for any specific location, so…"

"I wouldn't be surprised either way," Sakura put in, sighing. "He's intelligent, emotionally disturbed and bent on revenge, a dangerous combination."

"Is there anyone else who could be helping him?" Ishin asked tactfully, looking thoughtfully towards Ronin.

Ronin must have felt Ishin's cool eyes upon him, as he didn't look up, but quickly answered: "No one from back then, I don't think. All dead; saw them all die. Imari's dead, but they never got along anyway. Dead. Maybe he recruited others—maybe blooded someone broken, taught them how to be a vampire, then one day let slip the story of where his scars came from. Fed the hatred. Maybe some broken-hearted humans, even. I don't know… I just wanted to get away from him."

At his exasperation, everyone else lapsed into silence. Toklata moved closer into him and closed her eyes. The story was wearing everyone thin.

A/N—As usual, it's been a while. Quite a while this time. Sorry for that, to anyone who's still reading. Anyway, Hoshijiro's a real literal starving artist, ne? I love drawing out artist jokes, being an artist. My dentist told me I was going to be a starving artist. But none of my cavities hurt until after she fills them, so it's not like she's a big success either, now is it? –Ahem—In any case, he balances out Jaden's wild streak. Also a few mentions of future characters—Imari and the blonde kunoichi. Can't wait to write them. Anyway, R&R please!

Next Chapter: Not-quite-innuendo nearly gives Jaden a nosebleed as she nurses back to health a starving Hoshijiro, staying far away from Shinsengumi Headquarters as she does so. But one not-so-tactful comment at Hoshijiro's slum of an apartment could send her right back to her friends, ruining Roden's clever planning. Roden himself, meanwhile, meets a six-year-old girl who has some advice for his mentor.


	7. Hiding Under a Blanket

"Foul demons, the whole bunch," he went on dramatically

-Niisan or -Nii: An endearing term for an older brother or older-brother figure

Shinai: A bamboo practice sword

Ryo: Unit of money. Actually, it's quite a lot. I think I read that a family of five could survive on a ryo for a month (the Shinsengumi get paid three ryo a month…).

Chapter Seven: Hiding Under a Blanket

Roden felt his insides warm, but felt his face drop into a concerned frown. He was no actor, but planned on making things convincing. It was, after all, only a _slight_ exaggeration on his part; he almost believed half the things he was about to tell Hoshijiro about the Shinsengumi.

"Foul demons, the whole bunch," he said dramatically. "Harassing the good people of Kyoto day in and day out, executing anyone they can get their hands on, running amok in Shimabara... Oh, the list goes on. I'll let you use your imagination, though it's a fact that they love the smell of blood. I've tried so hard to steer her away from them, but she's so stubborn. Ah, well... If she doesn't die, she'll learn, at least."

"No, that's no good," Hoshijiro protested suddenly, wobbling tiredly on his feet at the sudden use of energy. He stabled himself and went on. "Poor Jaden. Putting herself in danger and jeopardizing her good name like that..."

Roden had to suppress a snort and restrain himself from asking, "What good name?" to continue looking worried and compassionate. "A real shame," he said.

"Maybe...Maybe I _should_ talk to her..."

He smiled and clapped Hoshijiro on the back, launching the man forward, amazed at his own deviousness. Hoshijiro was such a shy person that it was exceedingly simple to get him to do favors. And despite not liking Jaden in the same way she liked him, Roden had known that the man would stand up for her anyway, so long as he didn't actually have to stand up to the Shinsengumi themselves. He had that simple good will to him. "That's the spirit! You're a real pal; I'm sure she'll be_ ecstatic_ to see you."

"Yes, I'm sure," he agreed half-heartedly, as if he had suddenly realized what trouble he had gotten himself into.

Feeling the slightest twinge of guilt, Roden sighed. "So, you must be feeling ambitious, walking into Kyoto unarmed at night, huh?"

"Oh no! I just thought...because of the Gion Festival, there wouldn't be anything to worry..." He trailed off, looking both ashamed and even more frightened now. "And...if I could just make it in, I would save a day of..."

"It's fine," Roden insisted, turning around, ideas of idyllic country streams gone away. "As a thanks, I'll take you into the city. Come on." They began walking, Hoshijiro awkwardly silent. Feeling strange, Roden offered to break the ice with, "Obviously you're not here for the Festival. So what are you visiting for?"

"I'm moving here, actually," he answered abashedly.

Roden looked over the man's traveling pack, slung across his back. It was just enough to burden him, but didn't seem like enough to be moving from one home to another. Most people would have to take at least one horse to carry everything. "That doesn't seem like much," he pointed out needlessly.

"Well...I don't have much," Hoshijiro answered tiredly, avoiding Roden's eyes. "It's just a few sets of clothes and paintbrushes and some canvas. Oh, and a few old paintings that I'll need to sell to buy more paints and winter clothes and more food. I had a pack of food too, but some ronin took it yesterday."

"You haven't eaten in two days?" Roden asked incredulously. He was about to go into details about what he should have done to those ronin, but thought better of it when realizing Hoshijiro would find such advice useless. He supposed that since the thin man was still alive and unhurt, he had done exactly what he should have.

"It's nothing new. They could've done worse, so I'm thankful."

Roden had forgotten about that annoying optimism. No matter how bad things ever got, Hoshijiro still always found _something_ to be thankful for. If he didn't make enough money when fall came around, he'd be thankful that his winter clothes _might_ last another year, and if a painting didn't sell, then he was thankful that he could save it for later when, perhaps, he might need the money more. If Jaden was stalking him, he was thankful that she wasn't a man. It must have helped him a lot--Roden imagined that if he had been a pessimist, his life would seem so awful that he would have put himself out of his misery long before.

"Would you...mm...Would you be interested in buying a painting?" he asked as his stomach let out a displeased noise.

"All I have on me is a few yen..." Roden answered regretfully. If the man's poor, tired appearance hadn't made him feel sorry for him, that awful noise coming from his stomach had. "Oh! But I have some sweets if you think that'll help..." He produced the brown-sugar candies from the folds of his yukata. "Here."

Despite their lack of nutrition, he accepted gratefully and shoved one into his mouth with just enough lack of speed to be polite. It was close though; he had obviously been making light of his fatigue. The candy only seemed to make things worse.

"Do you want me to carry something?" Roden asked worriedly as Hoshijiro stumbled over a stray rock and struggled to get back on his feet. The man started to mumble something, then suddenly collapsed. Roden knelt down quickly to check that he wasn't dead, flipping him right side up. Definitely alive, but unconscious. He sighed, took Hoshijiro's pack in one hand, and heaved the man over his shoulder with the other. To not take care of his way of getting Jaden away from the Shinsengumi would surely be disastrous. He only wished that he had asked Hoshijiro where he had lived so that he could have dropped him off there rather than taking him back to the Gardens to tend. Then Jaden would see him, and that would ruin the fun surprise.

He took country routes and wooded paths back to the Gardens to avoid stares and those annoying katana salesmen. Jaden had yet to return, and so, feeling vengeful, he decided to tease her, and plopped Hoshijiro down in her bed inside one of the pagodas, smirking satisfactorily.

From there, he wasn't sure what he should do. There were no bleeding injuries to wrap; he was just tired and hungry and probably dehydrated. Roden half-guessed that he should let him sleep, half-guessed that he should wake him up and get some water in him. There_ were_ plums growing somewhere near..._ No_, he decided. _When he wakes up I'll feed him. If hunger outweighed his fatigue, he wouldn't be asleep now._

He looked over Hoshijiro again; so thin that his ribs poked out from under his skin, and tired and filthy from traveling. Sighing at what a softy he was, Roden ripped off a part of the sheet under Hoshijiro and stalked to one of the koi ponds, wetting it down, then coming back to the man and wiping the dirt and grime from his face and neck. Then he noticed how dirty his gi was, and carefully removed that, deciding that if he was going to pretty up Jaden's present, he should go all-out with it. He tossed the gi over his shoulder, vowing to put it in a wash bucket later, and continued to wipe away the filth, strange as it was to be tending to a man. But Jaden's reaction at finding him in her bed with only his loincloth on would surely be worth it. Then, he looked at Hoshijiro's hair, and decided against combing out the snags. He was sure Jaden would happily do a much gentler job of it than he could, though he did pull it loose from the tie. (He also considered tying a bow around Hoshijiro's middle, but decided against it. He didn't much feel like mopping up the mess from a nosebleed.)

From there, he remembered Hoshijiro's pack and shuffled shamelessly through it. Besides his clothes and supplies, there were only a few paintings that he had brought to sell. A classic ink painting of a sakura tree, several landscapes, a picture of some Osakan cuisine, and one strange one of realistic gray and black trees, a field in varying tones of red, and an out-of-place lavender sky with murky white clouds floating lazily around. Roden laughed and decided to buy it, for surely no one else would.

He left to his own pagoda to find some money, tossing Hoshijiro's gi in a washbin already full of water and some of Jaden's undergarments. He ruffled through piles of blankets and dirty clothes piled on top of the futon for a few minutes, trying to scrape up a ryo, before Jaden's ki spiked to life and he stopped his work, smiling and waiting patiently.

"Oi!" she barked from several rosebushes away. "Stop hiding and come here! We need to talk about your philandering with Chosh—"

There was a slight pause, then, the most high-pitched, shaky squeal she had ever uttered. Roden could imagine her hands over her mouth, the shivers running through her, but dashed into the clearing where he had left Hoshijiro so he didn't have to. Sure enough, her hands were clamped tightly over both her mouth and her nose, eyes wide and cheeks red.

"I-is that...?" she began.

"The one and only."

She squealed again and dashed to his side, Roden quickly warned her that he was half-starved and very tired, so she should be careful. She pulled to a stop and tiptoed the rest of the way to him, and hopped into the bed, pulling covers over the both of them.

"What are you doing?" Roden asked skeptically.

"I'm keeping him warm!" she snapped back, so predictably snatching up a comb from a nearby stand and running it tenderly through his hair.

"Do you think he'll appreciate that when he wakes up?"

"Where did you find him?" she asked in response.

"Out in the countryside. He said he's moving here."

Another noise that sounded like a squeal muffled by blankets. Then, "Oh, he's so thin! Tomorrow I'll make him rice and fish and soba and stew and...mmm...what's a fattening food? Oh! Then for dinner we can go out to an expensive restaurant!"

Which, Roden noted happily, left no time for trips to the Shinsengumi compound.

"Oooh!" she went on excitedly. "Maybe I ought to just fix something now. How long do you think he'll sleep?"

"Dunno, but I think he'll enjoy waking up to the smell of food more than waking up to the sight of your face."

Rather than bristling and shouting a comeback, she turned sad eyes upon him. "Do you really think that he hates me so?"

"No, it's just that he's nearly naked, and--"

"Damn it! No one likes my cooking, either! Oh, he'll never eat it! Roden, would you cook something so I can tell him I made it?"

"No," Roden protested softly, trying to calm her down. "He's starving; he won't care. Besides, we don't have any supplies here. Just go pick him some plums and I'm sure he'll be happy."

"You think so?" she asked happily, already standing up.

"Of course. He's not a picky person. Go on."

She left in search of the illusive plum trees, humming giddily. Roden sighed with relief—his plan seemed to already be working—and found his way back to his own bed, deciding to find the money for the painting some other time. The sun had begun to poke it's rays dangerously through the thick canopy of leaves, just enough to be irritating. He settled down between the covers and stared up at the small hut's straw ceiling, kicking away dirty clothes. As he drifted off, another slightly deeper peal of squealing alerted him that Jaden had returned to bed, and that Hoshijiro had woken up. Half of him wanted to help the poor man, but the other half was tired and decided to let Jaden tend to him.

The following night, Hoshijiro had mostly recovered. According to Jaden, he had lapsed in and out of wakefulness—when he was awake, she had fed him rice and plums until he fell back asleep again—and was now ready to move into his own new home. With the two of them helping to carry his things and some groceries they had picked up after Roden had so generously paid for that stupid painting, the task was easier on the artist.

Roden had thought to ask Hoshijiro why anyone would move to Kyoto from peaceful Osaka, and the artist had answered abashedly that apartments were fairly cheaper in Kyoto. So it was no surprise that they found themselves walking through the slums of the city later, looking for his new home. Dirty, shoeless children ran everywhere, threatening to trip them all, while their parents sat carelessly inside, maybe trying to find enough food to fill them all. Jaden commented that it was strange to hear of an Osakan going somewhere where he couldn't eat all the time while shooing the children away gently as she could. They seemed to be wary of her, but were also vaguely curious of the trio and followed collectively behind Roden, one girl going so far as to grab his clean hakama with her chubby, dirty hand. He shook her loose distastefully, but they continued after him still.

When they reached the apartment and traveled to Hoshijiro's room on the top, they were faced with another predictable fact. It was small and dirty, just like the children who had stopped outside the door. (Roden peeked out of the window and confirmed that they were still there.) There was no futon or other furniture besides a crooked table in the center of the room. Hoshijiro and Roden set the groceries down on it while Jaden plopped the former's other supplies down next to it and waited to hear his reaction. He took a painting of a simple patch of irises out of his bag and hung it next to the window, then stood back and surveyed it with what seemed to be too much satisfaction.

"It's not without it's charms," he lied sullenly. "Oh well. At least there's plenty of room for an artistic hand."

"What are you talking about?" Jaden demanded. "There's not even a futon! What are you going to sleep on? You know, you could stay with us."

"I'd hate to be a burden," he answered a bit too nervously.

"So kind of you, but really..." She sighed, looking at the painting now as well with quiet intensity. Suddenly she blinked and looked around hurriedly. "Oh no! I told them I would bring Sannan-san flowers tonight!"

She started to dash out of the house, but Roden suddenly turned from the window and softly pushed on Hoshijiro's back, giving him an expectant look. He seemed to understand and called nervously to Jaden to wait a minute.

She turned. "I need to go see my friends, or Hijikata will chew me out!"

"You're talking about seeing the Shinsengumi, right?" Hoshijiro asked with sudden seriousness, making the change with all of the gracefulness Roden expected in an artist. He grasped Jaden's pale hand as she nodded impatiently, heaving a theatrical sigh. "Oh no. No, no no. Thinking of a lady such as you gallivanting with a bunch like them makes my stomach ache, Jaden-san. Please don't tell me you do these sort of things often. You'll give me an ulcer."

"No worries," she laughed. "I can take care of myself, even if they were the thugs you think them. I guess you've fallen to Kyoto's gossip too, huh? I know! Why don't you come meet them all with me?"

He shook his head, terrified. "Oh no, I have to unpack! Ah ha ha...ugh." She shrugged and, pulling her hand free, turned to dash down the stairs, but Hoshijiro lunged for her hand again after Roden gave him another push. "Please don't!" he gasped out. "Um...Don't make me worry so. Someone so delicate--"

"Delicate?!" she snapped, suddenly withdrawing her hand as if burned and looked warily from Hoshijiro to Roden and back again. "You of all people should know that I'm..." She came to a slow stop, then frowned darkly, locking eyes with Roden as she hissed out, "_He_ put you up to this_._ You don't _care _about me at all, you just want Roden to stop fucking shoving you! Stupid! I can't believe I'm even still here helping you!" She whirled, hurt and angry, and stomped down the stairs and out the door. The children fled screaming when she burst through the old shoji, but regrouped once she was several paces away.

Hoshijiro was looking down at the floor with ashamed embarrassment, cradling his hand against his chest. "Don't worry about it," Roden offered, watching his mentor stomp away through the window with halfhearted amusement. "You tried."

"But how can you say that, Roden-san?" he asked sullenly. "Now poor Jaden-san thinks that I don't care for her, and she'll go confide in one of those...Shinsengumi."

"So what? It's not like you _do_ care for her." He gave Hoshijiro a pointed sidelong look of mild interest. "Right?"

He turned red. "W-well not in the same way she—I mean she thinks, but—but still, she is cute—No! Sweet...um...oh... Well, she fed me plums and rice," he finished lamely, looking down again. "Even if it did taste awful."

Roden sighed, remembering Hoshijiro's annoying good will. "All right, I'll say something to her when I see her again," he promised sourly, standing up straight and sauntering to the shoji. "Since I was the one who put you up to it anyway. Moody thing, isn't she? Eh, so see you, I guess."

"You're not going after her?"

"_I'm_ not going to visit the Shinsengumi," he half-laughed, half-scowled. "Don't like her that much. Of course, if you do pursue a relationship, I'm sure you'll be dragged there to meet her _friends _once or twice." He left down the stairs without looking back for Hoshijiro's reaction, the lower resident giving him a wary stare as he stoically walked outside. The shoji was still open from Jaden, so he left it open as well. The girl who had earlier grabbed at his hakama did so again, but the rest of the children had scattered.

"Hey, Samurai-niisan," she said, looking up at him with a skeptical expression her large brown eyes that didn't fit with her happy pigtails. "You know that lady?"

"What?" he asked, irritably removing her hands again. "Oh, the foul-mouthed, hot-tempered one? Yeah."

"Tell her that hiding under a blanket will keep her safe from monsters," the child demanded matter-of-factly.

"Aa," he replied after a long pause, turning away. "Sure. I'll let Jaden know."

She ran to catch up with him, making a reach for his pants again. He slid to the right enough to evade her, but she persisted in taking five steps for every one of his to continue explaining. "You're a liar," she accused. "You wouldn't know what I was talking about unless you had monsters too, which I _doubt_, looking at your size, Samurai-niisan. So you have to listen first! Just tell her that it's always worked for me."

"Mm. Dear, do you want some food or money or something—?"

"Are you listening?!" she demanded exasperatedly, stomping her foot. "Listen! I see that lady when I go visit Chiyo at her house, and she gets arguing with her monster! She could save all that trouble if she brought a blanket and hid under it until he goes away! Tell her!"

As she ran in front of him and held a hand up signaling for him to stop, he picked her up by the collar of her kimono. "How old are you?" he asked. She began to flail and he quickly set her down, suddenly frightened of breaking her fragile frame as bones poked into his hands. She was presumably too light for whatever age she was, and had to big of a vocabulary for whatever age she was, and dirt clung around her face like a mask.

She held up six pudgy fingers, darkened by a thin film of grime, with determined seriousness. Her battered and plain kimono slid down her arm, revealing the thin covering of pale skin drawn tightly over small, poking-through bones. Feeling ill, he couldn't help but look over the rest of her, all bones and tiny ankles and a tattered obi tied around a too-small waist. She wasn't a healthy child, but it was to be expected in a place like this. "And my name is Amaya," she added as he looked her over. "But I guess you could call me Ama-chan since we're friends."

"It's dangerous to accept people so quickly," Roden warned her. "I could easily kidnap you right now. For ransom."

"I wish you _were_ a kidnapper," she implored, sighing heavily before yawning. "And you would take me away to somewhere else. No one would rescue me anyway, so I could become your sidekick."

"Mm. You know, I'll definitely tell Jaden about your advice, but I should be going now."

"Sure, Samurai-niisan," she replied. "Come and visit sometime, ne?"

"Sure," he told her, patting her on the head. "I'll take you home first, though. It's late and you should get to bed."

"Arigato, Samurai-niisan."

Probably, good will would force him to make return visits. For now, he felt like scouring the streets of Gion.

"Opposites attract" was never really the right phrase for the Shinsengumi. "Opposites often argue with one another but are completely necessary" would have worked, but that was too long to be a phrase. Instead, they kept their mouths shut when Hijikata and Yamanami indulged in their weekly bout of arguing, and went about their business without so much as a feeling of discomfort in their guts. They had grown quite used to it by that time.

It was odd to have two Vice-Commanders, but it kept balance. Truly, they were two different extremes that, when added together, evened out quite nicely, and so the Shinsengumi grew quickly and knowingly, having been raised upon their arguments. They were as different as positives and negatives, as peace and war. As different as living and dying.

But then there was Jaden, who thought very much that they only needed one Vice-Commander. Her choice for which one went without saying. She was very much similar to Hijikata, and so they naturally repelled. Or rather, they didn't like each other, but liked being around each other, if only to throw insults and blunt objects back and forth.

"I thought that you'd forgotten," Hijikata commented to his antagonizer as she tried to run through the gates of Shinsengumi Headquarters, blocking her way with a snide smirk, pipe stuck between his lips. "Yamanami-san would have been heartbroken if you didn't show."

"I would imagine," she replied smoothly. "Where is he?"

"In Shimabara, visiting Akesato. You see, that last sentence was sarcasm."

"As was mine," she replied, smiling innocently. "Two can play at that game, To-shi_-zou."_

Hijikata frowned, suddenly becoming serious and leaning against the gates in a thoughtful pose. "Do you like games, Takoda?" he asked quietly, opening one eye to stare her down. At her wary silence, he continued. "Personally, I hate playing games. Things should be straightforward and simple...and yet, I'm such a competitive person. If someone happens to pull me into a game, I will win, at any cost. So, Takoda, do you really want to be playing games with me?"

Jaden grinned. "I hate to lose too," she told him, eyes glinting evilly. "So I'm afraid I can't make any promises, _Toshi_. Let's just try to avoid games, ne?" She thrust the bunch of flowers from her Gardens at him. "Please give these to Sannan-san. I don't care if he's already better, just let him know I did drop by."

"I can't make any promises," he told her coolly, dumping ashes from his pipe inches away from her sandal-clad toes.

Jaden scowled and pushed the flowers into his chest until he grudgingly took hold. "If I'd known you'd wanted them so bad, I would've brought you some too, dammit," she teased, though unhappily and without a smile. "Beware the green-eyed monster, you bastard."

"You?"

She glared, but looked away from him before her hands had the chance to wring his neck, feeling wary of herself. Inside the gates, a member tripped over his own sandals. Hijikata looked back and scowled. The boy—young, lanky, wide-eyed and round-faced—caught the look and scurried to his feet, then sat dejectedly down on the nearby engawa and sighed.

"Who's he?"

"New recruit," came the sighed reply.

"Cute one, isn't he?

"Not very good with a sword," Hijikata scowled. "Seems like he's used a shinai maybe twice in his life. But he's got spirit, or so Souji assures me."

"But he's a real cute one," Jaden repeated, staring him down suspiciously. "Can't be more than fifteen, huh? Almost like seeing another girl around here, with those little shoulders. The big hands kind of ruin it, though."

"Brilliant. Why don't you stick around to examine all the recruits instead of playing pretend-samurai?"

"I'm just saying, you'd best take care of the boy or he'll be dead next week," she advised.

"We don't need the weaklings anyway."

Jaden scowled in farewell, sick of the man, and stomped away quickly. The meeting with him had run a bit longer than she would have liked. She realized now that she should have forced her way in and visited Heisuke, but decided against it now.

She wanted to apologize to Hoshijiro—one couldn't really blame him for falling in with Roden's plans; Roden was far too clever and far too frightening for his own good. And yet, Hijikata had put her in an even fouler mood, so she grudgingly decided to put it off for a few days.

Sakura was presumably still pissed off at her, but it was not quite so degrading to make amends there. She began walking to Gion, deciding not to bother disguising herself as Kazunori. People seemed to be getting sick of him, and the last thing she needed was an assassination attempt.

Jaden's frustrated anger drained from her as she walked along peacefully. A woman walking alone in a Kyoto night was a beautifully simple target, and she waited patiently for an attack so that she could smile and release her fury all in one good sword swing, but nothing came. Still, she eventually became serene just from walking in the quiet darkness. Soon, Gion's bright lights began to shine against the black of the sky.

Sakura's okiya was close to the Gardens, but on the opposite end of the district from the way Jaden had entered. She found herself walking through the more prosperous part of the district; with larger, more decorated okiya and the most high-end of teahouses. Flowery, clean lanterns shown just a bit too brightly, and Jaden stepped off of the road to walk closer to the river.

A few late fireflies danced around drunkenly, and among them, voices. Jaden frowned—they were voices that she recognized—and masked her ki, crouching down and stalking to a willow tree nearby, peeking out from around it and squinting through the mist.

Roden and Rai sat neatly on the other side, eating what smelled like odango. She sat on her knees, arms crossed brattily, looking at Roden with a skeptical expression. He was laying down, a big hand reaching up to the sky, laughing. She remained unamused.

"It's stupid," he was saying. "But she was so cute. Dirty, though."

"Why don't you adopt her?" Rai asked without the slightest change of expression. Roden gave her a disgusted look in reply and she continued. "Even if she has a family... Your mentor _is_ Kazunori Toshiro, so money isn't a problem, and you have all of that space in the Gardens."

Here Jaden stopped listening as all of her lost anger flooded back into her as she stared at the pair with disbelief.

A/N-Phew. A fairly boring chapter, but at least you didn't have to wait too long for it. –Sigh. More action—verbal action, in any case—next chapter, so hang in there! Woot. Ugh…Rai's so unexpressive. This in itself seems to piss Jaden off.

Next Chapter: Luckily for any poor, unsuspecting townsfolk, Jaden runs into Yamanami before she can do serious bodily harm to anyone, and they chat over ice cream. However, the man's point doesn't seem to get through, and she and Roden are soon arguing again. Then, Ama-chan makes another skeptical appearance.


	8. Love is Dangerous

How could he

_Sonno-joi: A more specific (and nasty, if used properly) term for the Choshu based on their beliefs of "Expel the barbarians, Revere the Emperor"_

_Chapter Eight: Love is Dangerous_

_ How could he...?!_ Jaden snarled to herself, staring at Rai spitefully. _To bring that sonno-joi snob into our...our _family's _Gardens, and worse, blab to her that I was Kazunori... I'll belt him! He'll get me killed if this doesn't stop! Fucking temptress!_

Glaring icily at them, she pulled back and waited, wary. Half of her couldn't believe what she'd heard, couldn't believe that Roden would stab her while she wasn't looking like that. She decided to wait for some other time, when she could question Roden alone—he didn't usually lie. But she couldn't bear to face Sakura with news of this apparent betrayal. Feeling sick, she turned around dismally; hanging her head as she walked aimlessly in what her subconscious told her was back towards Mibu, so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost missed him.

"-Den-san. Jaden-san. Jaden-san?"

She looked up with a forced smile. "Oh, sorry, Sannan-san. Back kind of early, aren't you?"

Yamanami sighed heavily, surveying Jaden with tired curiosity from behind his thick glasses. "There's much work to be done tomorrow," he pointed out. "I thought an early night was in order. But don't you change the subject; since when do you ignore me?"

"I wasn't ignoring you," she said unhappily. "I've just got a lot on my mind. Looks like this month is gonna be really stressful for everyone..."

"Hijikata-kun picked on you again?" he asked, smiling slightly as he half-heartedly examined a worn hole in the sleeve of his light blue yukata.

"Yes, but that's not what's bothering me. It's nothing, really."

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Come on now. Do you want to grab some mochi and tell me about it?"

At the invitation, she seemed to burst. "Roden-kun is philandering with Choshu women!" she babbled, kicking angrily at the ground.

"Hm," Yamanami replied calmly, starting to walk. "Your student, correct?"

"Practically my brother!"

He clicked his tongue. "Well then...maybe you can just talk to him. What's the real problem here? Is it awkward? You don't like them? You feel neglected? Is he being so immorally unfaithful that it just tears you up—"

Jaden's frown deepened. "It's not the women part that's the problem," she explained. "He's been seducing married women since he was nine."

At this, Yamanami frowned disapprovingly and raised a finger to keep her from speaking for a second.

Jaden recognized the sour look and quickly went on. "It's that adjective in front of women." Yamanami was just so fucking nice, so fucking smart, such an all around good-guy (the one that Hijikata was not) that sometimes Jaden already knew when the lectures on loyalty and purity were coming. One thing that she liked about Hijikata was that her faults equaled her own, so she felt less guilty when he lectured her. Yamanami had no faults and she was sure of it.

He recognized the haste and went along with her. "And that adjective was...?" he asked innocently.

"Choshu!"

They stopped at a stand selling mochi and Yamanami sighed exasperatedly. "This is a dilemma..." he said, making Jaden look up contentedly at the fact that he had finally got it, before continuing and crushing her hopes with, "Jaden-san, should I get plum flavor or red-bean flavor?"

"Sannan-san!"

"Okay, plum. Come, dear, there's a bench over by that tree." He motioned to an old ash tree and paid for the two cones at the same time, then led her to the bench and sat contentedly. Jaden waited patiently as he ate the cool mochi, her own melting away and all over her hands. Her stomach felt ill with betrayal still, a feeling she had hoped Yamanami's comforting voice would do away with.

"Now," he began suddenly, making her jump. "I can't say that I see the problem. Your Roden-kun has a girlfriend who's...what, a kunoichi?"

"Well..." She squirmed uncomfortably under his soft gaze. "I don't think she's a warrior of any sort, really. Just an outspoken brat."

"So what's the problem? Even if she was a kunoichi, I'm sure they must truly have an interest in one another for you to be so wound up. Don't you want him to be happy?"

"She can't be... She's Choshu!"

"Stop, Jaden-san," he snapped suddenly, locking gazes with the vampire seriously. "What if you fell in love with a Sonno-joi, and Roden-kun didn't like him? How would you feel?"

"I would never—"

Yamanami knew that she was telling the truth—stubborn pride would prevent her from even looking in the direction of a Choshu man for longer than it took to kill him—and so stopped her with a wave of his hand. "Then what if..." he continued, frowning at her, "...I was in love with a Sonno-joi? Would you despise me? Confide in Hijikata-kun?"

Jaden looked away painfully, feeling even more ill now. "Sannan-san... I'm sorry... Of course I wouldn't..."

"So this is personal. He really must like her, and you feel thrown to the curb? Like he's getting in with the wrong crowd? Stop and think, though. How does Roden-kun feel about your attachment to the Shinsengumi? Now, I should be getting back to Headquarters. Why don't you drop by in a few days and visit? Good night, Jaden-san."

With that, he stood up, stretched, and continued on to Mibu, leaving Jaden even more confused and upset. As usual, he was right...probably, but this time she didn't like it. As she watched him walk away her mind coldly spat out, _How long will you smile and play Vice-Commander to a group you hate, Yamanami?_ But when it sunk in shortly after she shivered and wondered where the _hell _that had come from; what far reaches had provided the cruel and nonsensical thought.

In any case, he was right, having been looking at things from Roden's point of view. And yet, if Roden couldn't accept the Shinsengumi, she saw no reason to accept cold Rai. She knew this hadn't been Yamanami's moral, but felt it fair. Unrelenting, she managed a sour smile.

Fair _was _fair.

Two nights later, Roden decided to finally put in a word for Hoshijiro after avoiding Jaden since that night at the artist's new home. He had been trying to wait until that irritated spike in her ki had stopped poking into his senses, but it seemed to not be going away anytime soon. He decided not to put it off any longer and had gone looking for her, finding her brushing her long raven hair in a kimono under robe. She ignored him as he entered her usual spot amongst daffodils and brightly-colored daisies, and he quietly took note of a beautiful kimono sitting next to her on her bench as he stood behind her awkwardly. It was bright orange with slices of embroidered green fruit scattered across it amongst golden tendrils woven into the fabric. The obi lay slightly to the left of it, the same plain green of the fruit.

"Are you going to meet with her again?"

Roden jumped slightly at her sudden, sharp question. He looked up and examined her: She had turned her head around to stare him down—her lips were shaped in that customary tight frown and her eyes were curious and skeptical.

"Would it bother you if I said yes?" he asked automatically when he couldn't think of anything cleverer to say without lying, looking to the sky with what he hoped was an expression of boredom.

"Choshu anything is a bad influence," she answered, turning away from him again and continuing to brush her hair. "So, yeah. It would bother me if you continued to see her."

"You're seriously going to bring politics into this?"

She glared and her patient tone of voice disappeared, though she still wasn't quite angry. "Yes, dammit! Ro, Japan is my home! I care about the outcome of this war! I'm not like you; I'm not neutral, and I can't sit and watch the Tokugawa crumble!"

"But why bring Rai into it?!"

"If I thought she was just some pretty girl you slept with, I wouldn't care, but you obviously see something else in her! And she spouts out her opinion like she's a soldier of the Ishin Shishi! Then there's..." She paused and set the brush down, shoulders stiffening. Her voice grew quiet. "And then there's that she...she really loosens your tongue, doesn't she?"

Roden's eyes narrowed as he wondered what exactly she was talking about. That night at the Gion Festival, she had stomped away with such genuine anger that he was positive she hadn't stuck around and listened to more. Not wanting to chance apologizing for something that he wasn't being accused of, he regained some composure and crossed his arms incredulously. "And you...think that some woman is going to influence me?!" he snapped with annoyed disbelief. "And make me run off with the Choshu?!"

"I've already pointed out that you don't see her as _some woman_, Ro-_chan_!"

He was about to snap back, but thought better of it and digressed. Jaden's voice had risen every time she had spoken, and her hands were starting to move animatedly with her words, clenching into fists, releasing, clenching again. It was fairly safe for him to assume that their little squabble could turn into an all-out war at any moment, and that Jaden would be far less hesitant to accept it than himself. "Just go, Kitsune," he snarled, defeated.

She perked up, clapping her hands together. "So you're not going out?" Something pulled at her heartstrings, reminding her that she should confront him with the real problem, but her mind also writhed at the idea of getting him to admit anything else he'd shared with the whore.

"Shishou..." he sighed, "she's brilliant, but she's so cold. Her friendship is more than enough." Jaden seemed to loosen up; her shoulders slumped slightly and she lifted up the kimono and began to wrap it around her. Until he continued, laughing disgust in his voice as he thought of Outa. "Besides, I think she's got a pretty permanent suitor. Or something..."

"Well that's not likely to stop you," Jaden replied seriously with a sharp laugh, offhandedly going to grab her obi and placing one end of it in his hand, closing his fingers around it sweetly. "Help me with this, ne?"

"You think I would set my sights on a taken woman?" he asked, scowling as she twisted herself a few times in the fabric and then took the other end from him, proceeding to tie it into a simple holding knot. "If your opinion of me is so low, then why am I still your assistant?

"Again, Ro. I'll say it again. You don't see her as _some woman_ now, and you won't see her as a _married woman_ then. Besides, you've done it before. What about that farmer's wife?" She said it without any sign of joking or teasing, emphasizing the words "some woman" and "married woman" with tight, pointed pulls on the obi's bow.

"Sword smith's wife," he corrected automatically. Jaden ignored him.

"Love is dangerous in these times."

Her voice was perfectly cool now, unattached and forlorn, and she was staring at the ground as if she were speaking to it rather than giving her student a warning. Roden felt like she was speaking about someone else as well, but wasn't sure who. Surely she couldn't feel that close to Hoshijiro yet. Someone else...

_Someone else she cares about is in love?_ he repeated to himself. _Who, though? Surely not Sakura. Probably a Shinsengumi brat, then. That little boy, maybe._

Jaden turned her head upwards thoughtfully, her gaze unfocused as she pulled on an end of the orange ribbon. Just like that, it came undone, and her hair drooped slightly. Then she also removed the bandaging around the base of her ponytail and shook her head, and her long raven locks cascaded out around her, breaking away from the usual slim, snakelike ponytail. Her split ends brushed against the ground.

"Up or down?" she mused aloud distractedly, before he could ask anything.

"Down," he assured her. "What's all of this for?"

"Going to see Sou-chan and Hei-kun tonight," she replied tiredly. "Promised I'd bring the brat candy sometime."

Roden scowled, exasperated with her persistence. Apparently she was rather a well-known face around Shinsengumi Headquarters.

"Actually, I'm going to see Hoshijiro, too. I felt bad for the other night...and you should too! Don't bully him! But do you think I look ladylike enough for—"

"Stop," Roden told her sharply. "Stop this Shinsengumi shit of yours. Just stop. You're killing us. All of us."

Jaden turned on her heel and he narrowly avoided getting slapped, though a nearby bunch of irises were not so lucky. "They're my friends!" she snapped, face incredulous. "What, it's okay for you to have your Choshu whore, but I can't have friends?! Fucking hypocrite!"

"It has nothing to do with the fact that they support the Shogun! It's that they're a bunch of foul murderers!"

"Shut up!" she snarled, pushing him backwards a few steps before gasping slightly and pulling back. She looked briefly down at her wrists, massaging them quickly before looking back up at him spitefully. "You don't know anything!" She whirled around angrily and stalked out of the Gardens.

Roden tried to tear his thoughts away from their conversation the moment she was out of sight, but to no avail. Wandering into a group of huge, lacey white and pink flowers, with big, ruffled petals, a small koi pond off to his left, with a pavilion nearby, he loped meekly to it and plopped ungracefully down on the futon, running a hand through his hair exasperatedly. A voice in his head and a feeling of foreboding in his stomach informed him roughly that he shouldn't have let her go. Not this time nor any of the other times. Her gallivanting was becoming more and more dangerous as she got closer and closer to_ living_ in the wolves' den.

Feeling something that might have been heartsick jealousy bubble up in the pit of his stomach, he turned to more manly things before he couldn't bear those thoughts of Jaden spreading her sisterly love elsewhere and went to hunt her down. First, he stepped over to the koi pond and sat down, removing the sword from his belt and lying it next to him, then dangling the tips of his toes in the refreshing water as he turned to his katana and unsheathed it. Taking the time and care to examine the blade more thoroughly than usual, he noticed a rather large crack right in it's center, and figured that he would soon be dismissing it as trash. He wondered dejectedly whether, when that happened, Jaden would scowl and hand him her sword, then go buy or new one for herself as usual, or if she would give him a kitsune's smile and tell him to find some work so that he could buy his own. Hers was nearly brand new, after all. He would never put such foul tricks past her.

Then, he turned his thoughts to blood as he laid his back against the ground check if he could see the sky from beneath all of the trees. It had been quite a while since he had fed. But at the moment, he really didn't have any desire to go out looking for a meal. With tourists still drifting around, it would be even harder than usual to get enough privacy to take blood anyway, he told himself. If he were to find himself alone enough with someone else to drink, it would be in Shimabara, and he didn't want to tempt himself, at least not tonight.

Then suddenly, he thought of Ama-chan. It was getting late, but he supposed he could use visiting her as an excuse to congratulate Hoshijiro on being well liked enough by Jaden that she would apologize to him for anything.

The slum wasn't any cleaner than the few nights before, he noted with sarcastic surprise, and Ama-chan and her pack of friends were out playing even now, with the moon in the center of the sky. He beckoned quietly to her and she abandoned her troupe without a glance back.

"Samurai-niisan," she stated calmly. "You came back."

"I said I would."

"Yeah, but..." she trailed off, tilting her head as far back as she could to stare at him. "Did you tell your nee-san what I told you about the blanket?"

"Haven't seen her," he only half-lied. "And I don't remember telling you she was my sister."

"I guessed. Am I wrong?"

Roden shrugged halfheartedly. "She may as well be. Anyway, have you seen our artist friend around lately?"

"Earlier he went to get groceries and stuff, but he hasn't come back."

"Great," he sighed dismally. "Why do all you people hang out when it's dark, anyway? It's dangerous."

She raised a brow, giving Roden a pointed look of having been insulted. "We people find Kyoto summers pretty unbearable during the day. And the Mibu-ro don't come through a dirty place like this. What's your excuse? No, wait. You probably like beating up Mibu-ro."

Roden's heart lightened at the thought of finding a friend who also disliked the Shinsengumi, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. "As fun as that sounds, I think if I beat on one of those wolves, Jaden would _not_ be too pleased with me."

"Oh, that's right. She's there all the time. At their Headquarters."

"Exactly."

There was brief silence before Ama-chan opened her mouth again. "Well, there's one sheep. Like a hero in the mess. But the Mibu-ro kill all their friends, so we'll see how long it lasts."

Roden frowned; he didn't understand. "Ama-chan, are you still talking about Jaden?"

She pouted, exasperated with him, and presumably began to explain, but was cut off.

"Roden!"

Both turned to face Sakura, running at them quickly with a mortified expression on her face. "Where's Hoshijiro?!" she called.

"He's not here, he—"

She took it in stride and grabbed onto Roden's arm as she passed them, pulling him along violently. "It's Jaden, Ro!" she gasped when Ama-chan's confused face had disappeared, and that was enough to give a decent explanation. Of course it was Jaden. _Of course_. No one else ever got in trouble, he realized dully, coming to a painfully stupid stop.

Sakura took hold of his arm tighter, her nails digging into his wrist, and continued pulling. He regained his head quickly and asked, "What exactly happened?"

"She got in a fight with some idealists at a sake bar, and they ended up having firearms. I can't imagine where they managed to get their hands on pistols—"

Roden could effectively guess the rest, and he sped up, shaking his arm free from Sakura's death grip. "Damn! She's such an idiot!" he snapped. "Where is she now?"

"In my room at the okiya. There's a doctor there tending what he can, but you know what she really needs, Ro. If we don't find a human for her to feed... That's why I was looking for Hoshijiro, but..."

His fists clenched and he internally cursed the woman for jumping into things as usual. Always making trouble, looking for arguments, always making him rescue her after they'd just_ had_ arguments, that terrible woman Takoda Jaden. His mind first began to search for justice; for times that she had saved him, but within seconds he seemed to grow up and focused on the problem, searched his mind for some answer to the need for human blood, worried sick. It must have been a while since she had fed as well, so her strength was probably seriously lacking even _without_ the gunshots. Oh, he hated her, hated her, _hated_ her—but he couldn't have hated her, or he wouldn't have been angry; wouldn't have been thinking of a way to improve her odds. He turned it over in his head as quickly as he could while still focusing somewhat on where he was going, thinking of several options, but all of which came out to be a dead end—they were impossible, all impossible.

Something strange bubbled up into his thoughts, like dirt rising from a cut after someone has gently dabbed sake onto it. It was disgusting to think of later, and just before, one felt reluctant to feel the alcohol's cleansing sting, but still appealing, because then you know that you're safe from infection, and the one applying it always shows such loving care.

At first he reluctantly pushed the strange thought aside. But it somehow managed to squirm back up into his mind each time he did so, and always came back with more appeal, as Jaden's condition also darkly floated in and out of the conscious workings of his brain.

They found Gion. The high-class end of Gion, and he suddenly decided that it was a good idea.

"Roden, what are you doing?!" Sakura called, pulling into a stop as Roden ducked down an alleyway.

He didn't turn around, but continued sprinting, calling from over his shoulder, "I'll be there in no time; just trust me and get back to her!"

"Roden!"

"_Go!_"

She stood locked in a troubled pause for a few precious moments, but soon sighed and continued off at the same quick pace, cutting straight to her home.

Roden, however, purposely ran through every alleyway he could without actually backtracking, listening closely for any signs of what he was looking for.

_ It's a gorgeous night... She must be here somewhere!_

After a few minutes of blindly searching, he came to a dead end and, swearing under his breath, turned around hopelessly.

And the he caught the light scent of perfume, but not like the rest floating around the air, covering up the blood smell of Kyoto with strong mixes of flowers and fruits that should never be mixed. No—this was subtle, real...western. Roses. A gift from Outa, probably.

Roden ran off again, following the pleasant smell in an attempt to find its owner, and finally caught sight of his unsuspecting prey, to his immense relief, after a few turns and alleyways.

She was walking slowly home, seeming almost drunk with the way she was looking to the sky, a hollow _clop_ each time her shoes hit the ground, walking dizzily. There was another woman a few paces ahead of her, with a man, talking about some "Ayano," probably a rival geisha who the other woman saw fit to gossip about. She was paying no attention to Rai, and she seemed absolutely fine with this.

Rai was dressed just as nicely as the night before (the other woman was even more so), her overcoat a bright yellow with an embroidered scene of oriental lilies by a koi pond done in blue thread, to perfectly match her eyes. He felt a pang guilt for involving her when he was so sure that the only thing he could give her was trouble, but shoved that remorse aside just as quickly as it had come when he reminded himself of his stupid, hotheaded, proud, daughter-of-a-daimyo shishou. He had to weigh the consequences, and Jaden somehow turned up more important. It was something that would never come up consciously, but at the moment something willed him to lean to Jaden.

He ran up behind her and seized her by the waist, tossing her over his shoulder and button-hooking around to head in the other direction.

77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

"How smooth," Ishin sighed sarcastically. "How romantic."

"Do you always have to comment?"

"Don't get so up in arms."

The five of them sat contentedly in a small hotel room with two beds, a couch, irritatingly cheery floral wallpaper, and mediocre paintings on the walls. They had arrived only hours before, and Toklata had prepared microwavable popcorn for them as Sakura reviewed that night's issue of the Morbid Bedtime Story.

"Ama-chan is a real smartass," the girl put in, receiving a scolding look from Ronin. "I'm sorry, master, but there's just no other way to put it," she went on. "It's like she's not afraid of anything and she _knows_ everything."

"Ama-chan very well did know everything," Ronin sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If us adults had really listened to what she had said—_really_ listened—then maybe we would have done something in time. But Ama-chan was too smart for a child: she used strange metaphors that we dismissed as six-year-old ramblings. The sheep, the monster, hiding under a blanket—it was all there. What else? The marionette that needs two people to control it, walking thin lines, quarantine. It was all so strange at the time. The only thing that was easy to understand was that phrase: Kill all your friends. Everyone killed their friends. We should've watched out for it."

"She's smarter than me."

"As long as you're not making morbid predictions, I prefer it, Tokie." Ronin managed a weak smile.

"Mm," Katie put in from the couch, eyes barely open.

"Bedtime, I guess," Sakura said. "Tomorrow we can worry about good meals and supplies. We're all pretty tired and irritable, right? In any case, I get a bed."

Toklata jumped up with her. Ishin turned to Ronin as if to start a verbal war over the other bed, but the man had already taken a place against the wall. It did, after all, prevent bad dreams.

A/N—Woot! Within a week! Ah, just fighting in this chapter. Plus Jaden being typically hotheaded. And Yamanami-san, of course. Heh. I've always loved the contrast between him and Hijikata. Kill all your friends—I love that song. By MCR. Always makes me think of the Shinsengumi, but it pretty much fits everyone here... Yay MCR!

Next Chapter: Roden is unhappy to find a Mibu-ro at his mentor's side when he and Rai arrive at Sakura's okiya, but soon chases him away and moves on to bigger problems—like convincing Rai of vampirism. Then later, at Jaden's recovery bed, love all around happens. She's the lucky one, but shonen-ai fans get a tidbit too. Thank goodness artists so liberal and pro-choice.


	9. Brightening

Roden ran up behind Rai and seized her by the waist, tossing her over his shoulder and buttonhooking around to head in the

Chapter Nine: Brightening

Roden ran up behind Rai and seized her by the waist, tossing her over his shoulder and button hooking around to head in the other direction as quickly and quietly as he could manage as not to disturb the man and woman chatting in front of her. She didn't make a sound until the other two were well out of earshot.

"...Could you be kidnapping me, Roden?" she finally asked, after a few blocks were well behind them, sounding as bored as ever.

"No. Sorry to be so abrupt. But this is an emergency, and I need to ask you a really big favor."

"Sounds exciting," she drawled, with no excitement whatsoever.

He took her words as a chance to go faster, though Gion seemed to drag by no matter how quickly he was moving. How typical of his recent streak of rotten luck that Rai and Sakura's okiya were on completely opposite sides of the district. And though he tried desperately to keep to the shadows on the back sides of the teahouses and okiya, all of Gion's night life still seemed to catch a glimpse of them here and there, and he was sure that it might cause some problems for Rai if anyone recognized her.

Things seemed to blur together in what would have been a pretty show of bright lanterns and stars, and they reached Sakura's almost-modest home within a matter of minutes. But the trip had seemed painfully slow to Roden, even as they came to the back and located the geisha's window.

With the assistance of some sort of creeping vine that had made its home on the vertical wall of the building, he helped Rai up onto the second floor's balcony, following closely after. Not thinking about the noise, he used the shoji as to not bother with the bars of the window and safely getting his companion into it, and ushered her in almost roughly as to get to Jaden's side.

"You could have used the front door," Sakura said. Then, turning, she caught sight of Rai. "Roden..." she began, but she couldn't seem to find the right words to finish, and simply turned back to Jaden.

Roden wasted no time on words or attempting to make his guest comfortable, as he rushed over to examine his mentor's still form without any implication that he realized that other people were there in the room with them. Jaden was lying stretched out on a bamboo mat over Sakura's futon, her shoulder bloody. There was a slight puncture at an exact place that was uncomfortably close to her neck. Both of her thighs were stained crimson as well. (Though she had only gotten shot in one, the frightening amount of blood had spread over either of them and onto her knees and calves as well.) Her face was also a bit beaten up; dirty and tinged red, though that was ultimately not the problem at hand.

"Doctor..." he said worriedly.

The old man who had been leaning over Jaden with them silenced him with a wave of his hand. "Your friend is fortunate; these wounds aren't life-threatening, though that one on her shoulder will make everyday things very rough. All I can really do right now is take the bullets out and clean the wounds up a bit to prevent infection."

"Can I he..." Roden began, but then caught the look Sakura was sending him and trailed off. He instead left the doctor to his work and stepped away, turning back to his near-forgotten guest, who could have very well considered herself a hostage.

Knowing the room, he made his way to a large cabinet against the opposite wall and pulled out a spare blanket, offering it politely to Rai. She accepted it and sat down in a corner, and, much to his surprise, motioned for him to sit down and share it with her. He did, too grief-ridden to protest as the doctor began his grim work, Sakura holding a lantern over Jaden's body. It was then he noticed the straw zouri nervously tapping in the corner of the room, attached to a thin, lanky boy with bandaging around his forehead and a cut-too-short ponytail poking out of the top of his head—the Shinsengumi boy from Ikeda-ya with the nasty head wound. He was watching the doctor with anxious interest, biting at his bottom lip. Roden wanted to shoo him away, but felt too comfortable to move.

Rai cleverly held her tongue the whole time that they spent wrapped up together, not asking why she had to be there or other suspicious questions that might quirk the interest of the doctor or the Shinsengumi boy. Roden constantly glanced worriedly over at the two working, obsessively almost, completely forgetting how improper he must have looked curled up with the young geisha.

At one point Rai put one of her slim hands over his, giving a comforting squeeze. He ripped his gaze from Jaden to send Rai a surprised look, but by time his eyes reached hers, she was innocently looking at a spider web in the corner of the room, her hand back in her own lap. He almost smiled, thinking that she could be just as much a kitsune as Jaden, but then recalled where Jaden_ was_ at the moment and turned back to grimly watch over her.

Several stale, nervous hours passed before the old doctor sat back and sighed, wiping his brow. "That's about all I can do for now. She just needs to keep those wounds cleaned up. She's not in any condition to be moved this moment, however, so I'll leave her here for now and check up on her first thing tomorrow morning. Does that sound good?"

Sakura nodded, bowing. "Yes. And...well—just thank you so much, doctor. I'm sorry to say I don't have any money on me currently..."

"Don't worry about it, Miss," he said back, shaking his head. "I will be back tomorrow. I'm sure you want some privacy with your friend here—"

Shinsengumi boy hurled himself at the doctor. "Oh, thank you, good doctor! My drinking buddy is okay, what a happy thing! Calls for a drink, ne?"

The doctor shooed him away and waved a finger at him. "No drinking for your friend for a few weeks. You shouldn't be either."

He smiled, pushing the doctor out the door. "I've recently suffered some head trauma, so it's okay, ne? Yes, thank you." With the door shut and the elderly doctor on the other side, the boy turned back to them with a wide smile, but it slowly fell as he received one horrified look and two glares. "Um," he said, squirming. He looked around quickly then, replaced his nervous look with another smile. "Good to see that my secret love is okay, huh? ...Oh, you don't get it. It's a joke." He bowed. "Todou Heisuke, Shinsengumi Eighth-Unit Captain. And you are..." The trio continued to stare, and so he finished by himself. "Surely, you two must be Sakura-san and Roden-kun, but..." He dismissed Rai and moved closer to Roden, examining him. "Handsome; you're handsome just like Jaden-chan said!"

"Get away from me," Roden told him, standing up.

"Okay, okay. Family time, I see. I'll come back later."

"No you won't."

The boy frowned, exchanged bows with Sakura and left with the final words of: "No worries, Roden-kun. It's the cute ones I like."

"I hope that was a joke too..." he muttered after the boy was safely on the stairs.

Sakura whirled on Roden angrily, pointing to Rai. "What are you thinking, Ro?!"

"I'm fairly certain you know what I'm thinking," he replied curtly.

"And Rai-san here has obliged?"

He looked away a little guiltily and helped the lady to her feet. "For my shishou's sake, I hope she will," he sighed, pointedly avoiding her gaze, thinking that perhaps it hadn't been such a wonderful idea after all.

"You'd better explain some things to her, then," Sakura snapped uncharacteristically, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting.

"May I ask what I am supposed to be obliging to?" Rai asked quickly, so that Roden wouldn't go through some nervous introduction to what he was really trying to say.

He sighed. "Rai...whether you believe what I'm going to tell you or not, I still hope you'll just agree, because my master's life is probably relying on your humanity right now." He paused, watching her serious, questioning face, and then continued. "You said the other night that you thought there was something strange about the three of us. Well, you were right, but the truth is probably a bit more extreme than what you were thinking. What Jaden needs now is human blood. The three of us are... We're vampires."

He gave her a half-hearted grin, waiting anxiously. Her cool gaze didn't change, but one slim eyebrow vaulted upwards skeptically.

"You don't believe me," Roden said, voice disappointed and half-begging. "Of course. I really don't know how to prove it to you, but I swear I'm not kidding. Or crazy. Please, just...Rai...will you just give my mentor some of your blood? Please, even if you think we're crazy, she only needs a bit and you won't be hurt either way. Trust me, you won't be hurt..."

Rai examined him with her dark sapphire eyes for a few moments. "Vampires..." she mused, looking more interested than frightened. "You're telling me that you three are vampires, and that Jaden-san needs my blood, but she will not drain me dry, like any other vampire?"

Sakura tilted her head. "I'm surprised you even know what a vampire is. You're from Edo, aren't you, Rai-san?"

The young woman nodded slowly, averting her eyes. Roden fidgeted impatiently.

"Rai-san," Sakura breathed soothingly, trying to work her calming voice on the cool woman. Usually other geisha didn't fall for it, but Rai was still young, and she didn't think that Roden's rough fussing would do any good. "Please. We usually don't have this trouble when we break it to people—not that we tell a lot of people, really—because a lot of them have never heard the old myths. But you must believe us. It's almost all nonsense. Think, now—that woman's life is currently in your hands! If we were just wicked ghouls out to suck your blood, wouldn't Roden have already done so?"

After a long pause (Sakura seemed out of excuses), Rai nodded slowly again. "You both seem so desperate that I fear I would feel guilty if I didn't do as you wished. You can explain more later. If what you say is true, we don't have time now. And even if it isn't, I don't see what harm would come from it if I don't have to spare much blood. Fine, Roden. I'll trust you."

The two smiled gratefully, surprised, and Roden clamped his arms around her out of pure reaction. "Thank you," he breathed into her silver hair.

If she was taken aback by the warm gesture, she certainly didn't show it, and instead asked, "What do I need to do?"

Sakura took it from there, slapping Roden's hands away from Rai as he released her and attempted to locate her arms. "You're far too shaky right now. I'll do it," she said, bringing Rai over to Jaden's side after pushing him into a corner. He watched nervously as she pulled up the sleeve of Rai's kimono and made a small cut in her otherwise flawless left arm with her nail. Gently, she pinched Jaden's nose and pressed Rai's new cut to her slightly open mouth, which clamped shut quickly and violently. Rai's eyes expanded into a refreshing look of emotion—surprise and fear. Her blue eyes suddenly went round and her pupils shrunk, the pale-pink color of her skin vanished, leaving white, and she drew a breath in sharply, painfully. She tried to jerk her arm away, but Sakura pushed it roughly back to Jaden's mouth and held it there. "You can't stop now," she said gently. "That's not enough."

Ten seconds had never before passed so slowly. After that, Sakura gently pulled Rai's arm away from Jaden's mouth; the small woman gave a sigh and drifted into a deeper sleep. Rai's horrified, awed expression had remained on her face for the whole process, but her usual blank one came over her features again the moment his mentor stopped her gruesome _sucking_. Sakura looked as if she wanted to heal up the small cut quickly, but Rai was holding her wrist and rubbing at it with sour interest, spreading a small amount of blood onto her hand.

There was an awkward silence as the young woman stood up. Sakura remained kneeling by Jaden, impatiently straightening out her messy hair, and Roden didn't move from his place in the dark corner. Then, "Jaden-san will be okay now?"

"Yes. How can I ever thank—"

"Why did you come to me?" The question was abrupt, but not demanding. She was back in that softly bored tone of voice.

Roden paused and considered it. Why_ had_ he gone to her? Even after admitting that he had a slight fascination with the woman, he still couldn't see why that would drive him to ask her to perform such a gruesome task. He glanced down at Jaden. Her dangerous double-life was taking a lot out of everyone, it seemed.

"Trust," he told her suddenly, thinking of his mentor's alter ego, of their talk during the Gion Festival. "You're the most trustworthy person I know. You can keep a secret."

She blinked, bringing a hand up to brush a few stray locks of hair out of her eyes as they exchanged secretive and understanding glances. "Sure, thank you," she said, bowing before turning to Jaden, sprawled on the floor. "Will Jaden-san be happy?"

"That you saved her life?" Roden asked, frowning.

"That _I _saved her life," Rai clarified.

Sakura sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. "I don't think she'll be crazy about being saved by Sonno-Joi blood, but she'll know that she doesn't have any right to complain after such a large favor," she said. "We'll make sure your act of kindness doesn't become a burden. Hell, we won't even tell her if she doesn't ask."

Rai nodded, while Roden shook his head in disgust as_ that_ came up again. He made his way to his unconscious shishou's side. Her nicest kimono was now bloody and mangled, but she looked like she was in a peaceful sleep. He sat down next to her, against the wall. "I hate you," he told her, sighing and forgetting about Rai. She stirred slightly.

"I suppose I should be getting back to the okiya..."

"I'll escort you home, Rai-san," he heard Sakura say. He didn't offer to instead, not really feeling much like leaving his hated shishou's side at the moment. He barely heard Rai's light voice as she bid him farewell; though it did register after a few moments, and he half-heartedly returned the pleasantry, along with another soft thanks.

She spared him one last empty glance before sliding open the decorative shoji and slipping out with Sakura. He heard the two women exchanging a few words as they walked away, but paid their conversation no mind, instead pressing a hand to Jaden's slightly warm forehead. A brief smile was brought to his lips as he imagined her waking up at that very moment and glaring up at him, asking, "What the hell are you doing to me?"

It wouldn't have been so funny to him if it really did happen, as he would turn horribly red and stutter out excuses, but just thinking of it was a pleasant fantasy when brought against her current state.

_ But thanks to Rai, she'll be fine,_ he thought contentedly, stretching. Though he hadn't done much, the whole event had taken its toll, and fatigue tugged at his body. He realized this and yawned widely, glancing tiredly at the blanket in the corner that he and Rai had shared, but feeling far too tired to go get it. He happily stared at it until sleep overcame him.

Sakura stared down at her feet, decorative tabi and zouri running past her eyes with each slow step, as Rai and she silently walked the streets of Gion. There was a delicate silence between the two of them, one she was itching to shatter; and would, as soon as she found the right words.

She glanced discreetly over at the young woman. In picture, she was a geisha; graced with a plump face and a softly curving body. In fact, she was a picturesque woman of the floating world, and it became easy to see why her okiya hadn't thrown her onto the streets even after she had disappeared with Roden several times. Such exotic looks were normally shunned, but they seemed to work to her advantage—after all, silver hair wasn't foreign, it was just unnatural. And even blue eyes seemed to be getting a bit more common—or at least more common than Jaden's bright green.

But her personality was wrong. She was defiant, no matter how subtle her rebellion was, and didn't seem to find becoming a geisha very exciting at all. She openly expressed her support for the loyalist scum, and even stranger, she seemed to be educated and had a distinct Edo accent.

"Love will destroy a geisha."

Those were the words Sakura finally settled on, a few blocks later. She spoke them deliberately and clearly, though trying desperately to keep a casual tone. Rai didn't fall for it, however, and glanced in her direction, eyes falsely questioning.

"Has anyone said that to you yet?"

She nodded slowly. "I've heard those words many times."

"You would be wise to take them to heart," Sakura sighed, unhappily aware that she was probably chasing away one of Roden's few possible matches by continuing, but continuing anyway, for Rai's own sake. "It is not geisha to want or to love...except, of course, her _danna_, and even then it is more of a one-sided lust, on his part."

More silence, but an uncomfortable one this time.

"I would like to learn more about vampires. When can I speak with Roden?"

_That girl just ignored everything I said! _Sakura fumed, still smiling sociably on the outside. "Well...at night, of course!" she answered, strained.

Rai stopped suddenly in front of a charming pagoda-style building. "Hai, hai, at night. Of course. But I'm afraid that this is my humble home, and we must part for now. I must thank you for escorting me, and in turn, I hope you will get back to me about those lessons from Roden. I'm afraid that I'm rather interested now. Will you be fine walking back all alone?"

Sakura smiled darkly, nothing compared to Jaden's toothy smile, but good enough. "I'm quite capable of protecting myself on these streets. I do appreciate your concern, however."

"Hai. Arigato, Sakura-san."

Sakura barely had a chance to return Rai's sentiments before the young woman slid into the open shoji of the building and shut it tightly behind her. She shook her head and sighed sadly. With both Rai and Roden's interest caught, trouble would surely follow.

A day after the incident, Jaden was still sitting in a medical clinic's warm bed, sleeping and enjoying warm food that wasn't from a stand on the street, while in between planning her breakout from the place. She was healed already and growing bored of the doctor's arguments otherwise, and worse, her only guest so far had been Sakura. It had been a short and boring visit without even an awkward teary moment. Sakura treated the whole thing delicately, pretending that it had been like any other time Jaden had done something stupid. But the whole facade made her a bit suspicious.

It was only midday, so if Roden was going to bother to visit, it wouldn't be for hours still. She sighed. Even the room was boring—the futon a solid blue, the walls a bland and dull yellow, a small table with an empty gray vase on it. It was raining outside. She stretched and thought back to when she had woken up half a day earlier, sore and confused. It had scared her, but only because she had remembered being with Heisuke before she had blanked out—not that she doubted Heisuke would have taken care of her. No, what she had really been afraid of was that he might've taken her to Shinsengumi Headquarters to be cared for, and when she woke up and thought of this, she sat up with the words _terrible fucking weakness_ wildly running through her head, expecting Hijikata to be smirking at her from a corner, saying, "My, Takoda, what a terrible fucking weakness you have." But of course, she wasn't at Shinsengumi HQ. Her heart had slowed when she realized that Roden and Sakura had been the ones in charge, and that Hijikata probably hadn't even heard of it. And yet, it also worried her that she cared so much.

There seemed to be some frantic speaking somewhere outside of her room, and soon after the shoji of the room opened slightly. Jaden averted her eyes unhappily to the other side of the room, expecting the doctor come to poke and prod her more.

"Oh look at the snob, turning away like that."

"And we skipped out on patrol to see her."

"Hijikata-san could have our—well, you guy's—asses and she won't even look."

The yellow on the walls seem to brighten as she turned to the horrible, foul-mouthed trio of the Shinsengumi. Heisuke with his head still wrapped up and bandaged, Harada Sanosuke—a huge and stupid man with messy hair and stubble on his chin and a giant heart—and Nagakura Shinpachi—short with a mischievous look about him. She grinned at her visitors, noting the swords and uniforms on the latter two. That was what the fuss outside had been about; the good doctor was a bit nervous. Mibu-rophobia.

Nagakura looked at her. "In truth, we just finished patrol," he said skeptically. "But I bet you were flattered."

"Sure," she said. "Hijikata doesn't know, does he?"

Shrugs all around.

"Anyway," Heisuke went on, "we saw this slut in an off-the-shoulder kimono coming here. We wished you were there to, like, go pull her hair or something. It was distressing."

"But in all seriousness, how are you?" Harada asked, towering over her with his greenish yukata open to just below the stomach, showing off a long scar across his abdomen. He was as tall as Roden but seemed more muscular, not as dark-and-broody. "Heisuke said you were looking pretty ugly when it happened."

"Was ugly the exact word?" Jaden cooed sweetly.

"Yeah."

Heisuke shrugged his slim shoulders.

"Well in any case, I'm fine. I guess I scared everyone, huh?" She slid the gray yukata down her shoulders to show them the healed over wound. "It must've looked pretty bad."

The air grew tense, but awkward moments were not allowed with these three, so Heisuke cut in, "I saw Roden-kun that night."

Jaden smiled widely again, pushing away the covers of the futon and standing up. "Oh yeah? What'd you think of him?"

"Oh, he was..." After this, the boy seemed stumped for words. He looked around, then climbed onto the table with the vase, crossed his arms, let his brown hair fall into his eyes and looked down at Jaden and Nagakura with a sarcastic-yet-charming stare.

"Yes, that's it! But what did you _think_ of him?"

"Oh, well he's good looking. But not cute. He's got a cynical look about him that just isn't cute at all. And he's got that equally cynical-looking girlfriend."

Harada and Nagakura exchanged looks. Before Jaden could ask about this girlfriend (though she was unhappily sure that she already knew who it was) there was a soft knock on the shoji.

"J-jaden-san? Can I come in?"

The day was brightening quickly now. Jaden hopped to the door in disbelief and mauled Hoshijiro with a hug, knocking him a few steps back. Moments later she pulled him into the room and clapped the shoji shut.

"Oh," he said in a distracted-artist-tone. "Your shoulders, Jaden-san. They're so pretty."

She realized that the yukata was still down to her chest, and tinged pink while pulling it back up. The three Shinsengumi looked at each other with suggestive smiles. Then Hoshijiro saw them; saw the uniforms and froze. Jaden noticed and soon after regained her composure.

"Oh, where are my manners? Guys, this is Hoshijiro. Hoshi—"

Heisuke leapt from the table and swept forward, taking Hoshijiro's hands. "Todou Heisuke, Captain of the Eighth Unit of the Shinsengumi, and Jaden-chan's favorite. My, your hands are soft and uncalloused, aren't they?" He rubbed Hoshijiro's slim artist's hands against his face.

Hoshijiro seemed unable to say how nice it was to meet Heisuke, seemed unable to do anything at all as the other man continued to feel up his pale hands. Harada and Nagakura dove into action, yanking their comrade away by the back of his blue paw-print patterned gi. They also introduced themselves and the three exchanged deep bows all around as Heisuke lay on the floor behind them. Hoshijiro seemed surprised when the pair bowed just as deeply as he had, and Jaden couldn't help but smile when she noticed. These three were probably the best Shinsengumi for him to meet in order to expel away the nasty rumors Roden had put in his head. Though they were rougher and not as well mannered as the rest of her friends, they had a common-person humility about them, often apologized to subordinates, and had a charm of _honest misfits_ that none of the others had.

"Anyway, Jaden-san, should you be jumping around?" Hoshijiro asked worriedly, seeming to loosen up a bit. He took Jaden by the wrist and shooed her back into bed. "Now, you should be more careful, I was worried sick. Quite literally; you make my stomach ache when you do things like this."

"Sorry."

"Actually..." He looked around the room nervously. "I was thinking that I should keep a better eye on you. See you more."

"Hoshijiro, are you—"

"Shh. A yes or no."

Heisuke seemed to think that the reply wouldn't be yes or no, but a nosebleed, and quickly put a sleeve to Jaden's nose. However, she managed a faint yes, gazing up at Hoshijiro dazedly. Preventing awkward moments as always, the three chanted, "Jaden's got a boyfriend, Jaden's got a boyfriend!" several times.

Jaden smiled and wondered dazedly what it was like to have a boyfriend that you actually liked; that you could remember the name of. Courtships had never been her thing; little brothers were her thing. And suddenly she had both a nice suitor and one hundred plus one little brothers. And a demon to argue with. Things were looking up, it seemed. She voiced this.

"Oh yeah," Heisuke said happily, bopping one fist against the other. "Maybe you should take this opportunity to fight Souji and get in to the Shinsengumi."

"Hey, that's right!" Nagakura said, making the same motion as Heisuke. "Shouldn't you just do it? It's obvious by the way you refuse to wear armor that there's somethin' freaky about you, and that you're _good_. I don't think he could kill you."

Jaden frowned and looked away, frustrated. She and Souji had attempted to indulge in fights before, fights that she was sure would get her into the Shinsengumi, but the little brat always insisted she wear a chest plate and helmet, which she refused, and then turned to _him_ and asked_ him_ to wear the armor. Neither obliged, and the potential sparring matches had never happened. And it was not that she was afraid Souji would kill her. She was afraid she would kill him. And besides how adorable he was, Hijikata would then kill _her_, because the killing of Okita Souji would make his (married, slut-of-a) sister Okita Mitsu slightly upset, and thus Hijikata would never get to sleep with her again. Everyone would be a little angsty. "I told you," she said. "It's not that easy."

The three frowned. Hoshijiro smiled.

"Maa, Jaden-san. You should rest now anyway."

"But I'm fine! I want to go find Roden!"

"Oh, you're so stubborn," he sighed, slumping. "Do what you want; I can't very well stop you."

Harada clapped Hoshijiro on the back enthusiastically, making the artist lurch forward slightly. "See, you've got it! That's the way things work with her!"

"Yes, I know. It's adorable."

"Adorable," Jaden repeated numbly, slipping further into the futon.

Seeing that not much fun was left to drain from the trip, Nagakura put his hand on his hip sourly. "Look at that. So love struck that she can't even hang out with us now. Man."

Hoshijiro blinked quickly. "Ah! Sumimeisen, sirs, I didn't realize—"

"I'm eighteen," Heisuke told him exasperatedly, putting an arm around him and leading him to the shoji. "Don't call me 'sir,' it just sounds silly."

"Wh-where are we going?"

"Drinking! We'll get acquainted and such!" Nagakura said, waving his hands around in a "duh" sort of way. "See you, Jaden-chan!"

"Yeah! Get better and stuff!"

"Mm."

And then the four were gone, and yet the room remained bright.

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

"Wow. Strange, those three," Katie commented. "But they seem nice. And things seem to be looking dangerously upward for Jaden."

"Exactly. But what goes up must come down. That's just physics."

"Oh Ronin, you're so negative."

"It's true, though. She—"

Their waiter suddenly came with their food and Ronin stopped warily. The restaurant was busy and crowded for it being so dark out, but it provided cover for their storytelling. The waiter, Cole, talked happily about who ordered what as he handed out their dishes and extra napkins, then stepped away after some pleasantries.

Toklata played with her macaroni. "I don't want to eat," she scowled.

"Don't act like a four-year-old."

"But it's depressing."

"No, you just sucked down that sugar-drink you ordered and now you're not hungry," Ronin scowled, jabbing at her arm with a fork. "If you want to use the story as an excuse, at least wait a bit."

"No, because I'm not telling any more of it tonight," Sakura said curtly. "So eat."

A scowl, then a sharp jab with her fork. Angry chewing.

Ronin looked at Ishin on the other side of the red booth, waiting patiently. The overhead light was tinted blue and gave the General's face a shadowy look. Ishin stared coolly back at him for a few seconds, playing with his salad distractedly, but otherwise the wait wasn't long.

"It was good of Rai," he said simply, before going on skeptically. "Or so it would seem. Really, she was just curious, wasn't she? Rai is a cold and selfish woman."

The others turned worriedly to Ronin, expecting a nasty and upset rebuttal, expecting a fight, expecting angry vibes to send the other customers in that Friendly's to go running, leaving their sundaes behind. But Ronin was smiling. "Exactly," he said. "But Ishin? Why are you trying so hard to see into the future? Why don't you just wait and see?"

"It's going to be terrible," Ishin said, looking away and moving on to stirring his coffee with the same distracted attitude. "Everything is going to be okay for a while, then something's going to happen. February Twenty-third, you said before. On February twenty-third, something terrible is going to happen that's going to screw everyone. But I don't know what it is. It bothers me. I feel unprepared for some mass slaughter, and I don't like it."

"Well, we've got a while to go," Sakura said in a consoling voice. "By that time, we'll be long out of this town, so you'd best eat."

They sat in silence and finished their meals worriedly.

A/N-I love those three. Especially Heisuke. I seem to like the Shinsengumi who get overlooked in history like those three and Yamanami. Of course, I also adore the ever famous Okita and Hijikata as well. It's a shame that Hijikata has to be such a bad guy in this story. I feel bad for him, but oh well. And I'm not sure if Rai is a terrible person or just a radical nonconformist. She's a mystery. But Jaden isn't, at least. It evens out.

Next Chapter: Jaden's lucky streak continues and a nasty battle pans out. What starts as a forced, impromptu battle with Okita Souji turns into a war that may as well be between enemies. Cross your fingers and hope that no one dies.


	10. The Demon's Child

Several weeks later, mist curled in thick tendrils off of the Kamo River and into the cool Kyoto night

Chapter Ten: The Demon's Child

Several weeks later, mist curled in thick tendrils off of the Kamo River and into the hot and hazy Kyoto night. It was finally July, and compared to the air the water was pleasantly warm. The bright moon reflected off the surface and kept everything fairly well lit, as sort of an add-on to Jaden's red Chinese lantern, sitting next to her on the shoreline as she morosely and half-consciously ran her fingers over the bandaging around her chest and shoulders. She was drawn back to the real world when a prick of frustrated ki poked into her senses.

"Mou, Souji," she sighed, not bothering to turn. "Why be so upset on such a pretty night?"

Though she couldn't see him, the figure behind her tilted his head and blinked his big puppy-dog brown eyes in a most childish manner, one befitting his round cherub's face and uneven black bangs, which shifted over one side of his countenance. It was out of pure habit, and just as easily he grasped the sleeves of his white yukata as if nervous. "Jaden-san, you seem angry as well," he pointed out, frowning. His voice was young and seemingly sugar coated, and he continued just as sweetly and cheerily. "But I'm sure you'll insist on it, so I'll just go ahead and let you know that I've gone and hospitalized another sparring partner. I've almost given up on this..."

"I'm sure you can't do any serious harm to Saito-san or Shinpachi," she told him in something of a comforting voice.

"Yes, but Saito-san and I are rarely off duty at the same time," the boy reminded her happily. "And Nagakura-san...is less than enthusiastic about the idea."

"He's afraid you'll kill him," Jaden translated knowingly. "Some Second-Unit Captain, that bum."

Okita Souji smiled, knowing that she was kidding. "Ah, but Nagakura-san, Todo-san and Harada-san hardly practice at all! That could be the reason. In any case, I need a new partner."

There followed the sound of a katana cutting through the air at a nearly inhuman speed, to which Jaden responded to by somersaulting into the Kamo River.

She recovered and glared damply up at Okita, who was pulling the sword from the ground where she had previously been sitting, still smiling like a moron.

"You bipolar freak!" she snarled. "It's not funny anymore! You just look insane when you attack people out of nowhere! This is why you don't—"

"You'd make a good, durable partner," he interrupted.

"Yes, well, until I grow testicles, your beloved _Hijikata-san_ won't have it," she answered, standing up and wringing water from her hair. "Besides, you don't know that for sure. We've never fought, remember?" She patted him on the head as she passed him, ready to return to her Gardens, but stopped at his next words.

"I _do_ know how good you are. You just won't show it because you're afraid you're going to hurt someone. I _know_ there's something wrong with you. Or rather, something different about you. You're just like me. And if you just make Hijkata-san see it, then you can follow your dream and become a tool and a demon to be used in this war_...just...like...me_."

She now caught the smell of smoke wafting from a nearby tree and smiled crookedly as well, saying loudly, "If dear Toshizou doesn't know I'm strong—no, that there's something _wrong_ with me—then I must give up. He's too thickheaded to be convinced otherwise."

"Oh no. He knows. He just wants to_ see_ it." The katana whooshed again, and she found herself fumbling to the ground, shoulder aching from the wound from days before. Still in stance, Okita stared sadly down at her. "You haven't given up. You're just as thickheaded as Hijikata-san. I'm just going to make things easier. I'm sick of this. Draw your sword, and become a demon for me. Like me."

Hijikata had stopped with his sulking around the shadows and now leaned on the tree staring at the pair with a sneer, just daring them not to put on a good show for him. It appeared that Okita had dragged him down to the river right after a bath; his hair was wet, snarled and free, and he seemed to be, at the moment, hating the boy more than Jaden, which was strange. Though, somehow, he managed to bring that disgusting pipe with him.

She saw then that Commander Kondo was there with him. He seemed quite excited and much more willing than his Vice-Commander to be there watching. His fatherly face was split with an encouraging smile as he stared at the pair with wide and expectant eyes, motioning slightly for them to go on. Kondo-san wanted for her to join, she knew, to simply hide her identity from the men, but never argued with Hijikata when he said no, despite his higher position. She couldn't understand it at all, but would never argue with Kondo-san, and allowed him to continue taking advice from the medicine peddler if he so desired.

"Well?" Hijikata snarled, crossing his arms. "Show me."

Heated, passionate green met cruel and cold silvery-blue, and Jaden made her decision. She supposed she had always known that this was what she would have to resort to, that mediocrity would never get her into the Shinsengumi. So to show Hijikata up, she would beat down sweet, skillful Okita Souji.

And as they broke the stare, Jaden decided that she would beat down_ anyone_, do _anything _from then on if it meant that she could show Hijikata how strong she was. She just wanted to _abhor_ him, and him to loathe her in turn for as long as they could manage—for as long as they could keep thrusting a knife into each other until one of them grew bloody and mangled and unable to take it anymore.

That one would be him. She couldn't bear losing to him, so he would be the one to break. She _hated_ losing. It was so simple, and she couldn't wait to see him _bleed_. Until then, she would put up with whatever trials he could throw her into, and she would smile the manic smile that Souji wore so frequently.

Okita suddenly thrust his sword at her carelessly. She parried the attack easily after quickly drawing her own katana, and they grinned at one another. He attempted it again, faster this time, but she repeated the movement and hopped backwards as to give herself a chance to attack as well, swinging broadly at his side with the dull edge of the sword, attempting to be cautious. Souji, she knew, had no idea just how strong she really was, and she couldn't hurt him too badly. And in order to remain another nameless soldier in history and not get in trouble with the Vampire Princes, she certainly couldn't be as good as Okita Souji, _genius_ swordsman.

He laughed softly at her attempted kindness, and ducked low out of the way, stabbing upwards at her arm. He didn't seem to be worried about hurting her at all, as the metal hit its target and bit through the skin on her wrist.

She sped up, frowning over letting him have the first hit, picturing Hijikata's smug smirk without even looking at him. She threw a round of swings at Okita's body, switching over to using the sharp edge of the sword somewhere in between all of the blocking and swinging and clanging of metal as he managed to block all of her shots for several long minutes and then turn gracefully on his heel so that he ended up behind her. Annoyance bubbled in her stomach as a bead of sweat ran down her cheek. Without realizing that her control over her vampiric strength had slowly fallen away from her in pieces like shattered glass, she twirled around to face him with sickening speed and brought her katana up and down again in a deadly arc bound to connect with Okita's forehead. He just barely managed to block it by drawing his sword quickly up to his forehead, dull side to his skin, to halt the other blade.

They stared at each other briefly, both with wide eyes, Jaden with surprise both at her lack of control and Okita's almost inhuman skills, and he with grim purpose. His playful smile was gone, and he seemed to be in a trance as they both lowered their swords.

Then, he raised it again and stabbed her in the stomach before she could even realize that he was moving again. She fell to the ground holding at the wounds, but finally caught up and retaliated by thrusting upwards at the boy, realizing that he didn't think it to be a fun little spar anymore. His eyes were muddled and unsure, yet dilated dangerously and focused only on her as he jumped away and wrinkled his nose and curled his lips into a snarl. Combined with his angelic face and round cheeks, it was a sight that she could finally see for real.

"_Oni no Ko_," she said. Everyone always called him a Demon's Child, but she had never known it to be so true. Her hands pushed her body away from him against her will, as her mind told them desperately to stop and get up and fight, or she would_ die_. Die at the hands of this poor child forced to do the Shogunate's dirty work.

For a moment, her heart was heavy for him, and her bottom lip trembled with angry sadness as she admitted that she didn't want to become like that: a _tool._ But Hijikata would _win_ if she didn't.

She scrambled to her feet, scowling back at Okita, and they came at each other at the same time. Swords clanged again, and no hits were landed, though they both grew angrier and sweatier and faster, desperate to kill one another.

Feeling sick as she watched Souji attack her as if possessed, Jaden wrenched her eyes closed and swung with all of her strength. She opened them again as something slid into the mud on the bank, and found her opponent defenseless, her katana nearly poking into his soft neck, looking with disbelief to his now-muddy sword, stuck in the earth, then back to Jaden. He no longer looked as if he wanted badly to rid the world of her, but now he seemed frightened into a state where he couldn't move, before blinking several times. With each blink, his eyes got closer and closer to their usual childish innocence, his eyelashes beating away his confusion and savage ki until he seemed to know exactly what had happened.

Eyes still slightly round, he turned to the tree. "Hijikata-san?" he inquired in an almost dead voice. Kondo looked to his Vice-Commander as well, quiet stupor plastered on his face as he regarded the other man, his face seeming to question how it was possible.

Jaden looked to see his reaction and smirked. The man's cold eyes were also huge, and he had taken his pipe from his mouth although it had hindered him from watching them.

Looking from Jaden to Okita, then finally to Kondo, he finally closed his gaping mouth. "Give that woman to me," he ordered. "Give her to the Shinsengumi. To Kyoto."

There was silence. "I'm_ in_?" she asked finally, smiling widely, unable to help herself.

Hijikata's gaze snapped back to her, but a wide and wolfish grin split his face in a way she didn't like at all. "You're _in,"_ he confirmed_._ "So long as you show up. One week, you start. Come Souji, you'll catch cold."

Okita suddenly yelped, "Oh!" ran to fetch his sword, then helped Jaden stand back up as her knees gave out.

"Oni no Ko...you did it," she said dully.

The boy grimaced at the nickname, then brushed it off and smiled sincerely. "Jaden-san can do a lot for the Shinsengumi."

"Yes!" Kondo yelped from the tree as Hijikata stalked away quietly. "Surely you'll be a valuable asset to our organization!" He motioned for her to climb the bank, and the three of them were soon walking down the dirty country road back to central Kyoto a few paces behind Hijikata. Kondo was continuing with, "—Captains know you too well, it's no use hiding anything from them, but the rest of the men don't have to know. Now, which Unit shall we put you in...? "

"She will belong to me," Hijikata interrupted sourly, "and will follow my every order."

Kondo and Okita stopped walking. "Toshi!" the former snapped, surprising the others. "Why?! She'd be more help in—"

"I'm not saying she's not going to be fighting," he snorted, continuing to sulk away. "On the contrary, she'll be doing all the fighting that she can stomach. Unless I point her elsewhere. This is a condition, you realize."

Kondo must have noticed the waves of contained disgust and horror rolling off of Jaden's skin, as he immediately argued with, "If she is to belong to a Vice-Commander, she will belong to_ both_ our Vice-Commanders. I will grant you _and _Sannan Jaden-san's loyalty. Agreed?"

Hijikata halted and Jaden could tell that he was sneering, but eventually, he grunted a sour, "Aa," and continued walking. "But there will be more conditions. I'll write them up for you, Takoda, and send them to you so that you can rightfully sign over your soul on paper.

Jaden smiled widely at Kondo to show her gratitude and excitement at _belonging _to darling Sannan-san. Surely with her at Headquarters, he would stay there more often, and with him there too she was sure she would be properly protected from much of Hijikata's abuse. They continued in silence.

Roden's ever-skeptical voice drifted to her ears after several minutes of peace. "The doctor says you shouldn't be moving around, but here you are," he observed dryly.

"Are you worried about me?" she responded mockingly, looking over her shoulder at him. Kondo and Okita followed suit, examining the big man with cautious curiosity.

"Only until I figure out where you keep your money," he snorted calmly, feeling thankful that she hadn't caught any of the real concern in his amber eyes as he came closer to the trio, trying hard to ignore the fact that she was hanging around with those horrid Miburo again.

Hijikata turned now and stared at Roden with calculating interest. Just as Jaden was about to awkwardly introduce her student to her companions, their eyes met and locked. Jaden was quick to notice and anxiously began pulling Roden in the opposite direction.

"Oh, I just remembered I was supposed to meet someone!" she fumbled out quickly, waving to Okita and Kondo. "I'll see you guys around!"

"What was that about?" Roden asked when they were an appropriate distance away.

"I really am meeting someone," she answered quickly, several paces ahead of him.

He caught up easily and stepped in front of her. "Whoa—slow down. I was afraid I'd have to pry you off of those Miburo, but here you are—are you bleeding?"

She glanced at her stomach, then dismissed it. "Hijikata was looking at you," she said simply.

"So?"

Jaden looked over her deshi's features quickly—though curious, they were lazy, careless. He hadn't been hiding there the whole time. There was no way he knew, and for some reason, she couldn't find it in her heart to tell him. She ignored his question and shrugged. "Didn't think you'd like another man looking at you. Anyway, did you say something about money earlier?"

"I...guess."

"Speaking of it," she continued sneakily, standing up straight and clapping her hands together happily, "our dear imaginary friend and source of income Kazunori Toshiro has a business meeting tomorrow night! And I can bring one trusted guest. Don't you want to come?"

"No." It was an immediate answer, coming out almost before she had gotten the actual question out.

"Onegai?" she whined, batting her eyes, but also moving her hand craftily to the wakizashi at her side.

"Why don't you take Sakura-neesan?" he retaliated, almost whining himself, and taking a few steps away as her fingers found their rightful place on the hilt of the wakizashi.

"Because, there's gonna be other geisha there, so that's like...overkill," she scowled.

"And who am I supposed to go as?"

"Kazunori's nephew."

He was silenced, but not for long, as he bluntly stated what they both knew. "But I don't want to."

But he knew somewhere in his soul who would really win the argument as the faint metallic click of something steel popping from its sheath sounded in the still air.

"I don't have anything to wear to something like that anyway!" he pointed out in desperation.

"That's why I bought you a nice new yukata and haori! Please, Ro!"

He sighed deeply, knowing that even though she was batting her green eyes sweetly again, the brute force would be quick to come, and it would be better to just agree then and there.

"Just...tell me something," he moaned. "Why do you want me to come so badly? You've never asked me to go to any of these meetings before."

The scowl tugged her lips downward again. "I'm meeting with self-proclaimed _loyalist_ businessmen," she explained dully. "Yuck. I don't want to be all by myself with those traitors. What if they brainwash me?"

"Why put up with it at all? If the Choshu are going ahead and meeting with Shogunate officials, why not just arrest them?"

She pulled a grimace, standing up fully and stretching. "They're sneaky little pyromaniacs. Plenty of Tokugawa-supporters are also loyal to the Emperor, and the Aizu police can't just bring them in because they call themselves loyalists. They won't come right out and oppose the Bakufu; they're too cowardly." Her grimace turned into thick distaste. "It's tomorrow night. We should have some fun before then, so let's go see Sakura."

Without waiting for an answer, she hopped off of the building and began meandering through the alleyways. Roden rolled his eyes and followed after her a bit more stealthily, sighing at her unpredictable personality.

Her little incident had occurred merely three weeks before, but it was already fading fuzzily into all of their memories, as everything had returned to its normal state within a few days, thanks to the woman herself pushing it along. For starters, she had taken only a short time—less then two days—at the old doctor's clinic to sleep, before "breaking out" and bounding back to the Gardens to demand an explanation from her deshi rather than thanking him. Luckily, the explanation she had wanted was why he hadn't visited her, not where the blood that had saved her life had come from. In any case, she had blatantly chosen to ignore the doctor's advice to "take things easy for a while," and had hopped right back to just generally being herself: swinging swords for the Shogunate and dressing up as a man without thinking about much at all. As a vampire, it wasn't truly that surprising, but to make such a scene as she did was awful.

Truly, things turned to a boring sort of normal, as Roden had avoided Gion and Rai since the incident. He felt strange and unsure about what to say and how to approach her, and also didn't want to raise Jaden's ire again. When Rai was mentioned Jaden seemed to actually think, so he was afraid at that point she might put two and two together. (And she might end up with five rather than four, but that extra would just be one more thing that she didn't need to know.)

So the two of them were left lazily ambling to Sakura's okiya that night as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened within the span of a few months. Jaden was smiling without much of a clever fox-look on her face, and he wondered why she was so happy. Gion was in its usual state—loud and full of color and life and rich men with their companions staring at them as if they were coughing and hacking from tuberculosis.

Sakura's charming little home was just coming into Roden's view when he realized that Jaden wasn't carrying anything other than her daisho, and the clothes covering her slim form. "Where's your Kazunori stuff?" he questioned, wondering briefly if she was turning senile on him.

She wasn't, it turned out, as she groaned and explained, "I'm gonna just come as one of her close friends from now on. There've been rumors circulating, and Kazunori's causing a bit of grief for Sakura-neesan. Filthy gossip..."

"Like what?" he asked, feeling blood rush to his face as he planned out his next question, mostly because of its relation to poor Sakura. "Like...sleeping with her?"

She rolled her eyes. "That's not a problem. Kazunori is Sakura's _danna_, so that's not the problem." At his silence, she added, "A_ danna_ is more or less like the average woman's boyfriend. He gets to do that."

"I thought that geisha could...choose to sleep with any of their patrons."

She snorted. "Then they'd be the same as high-class whores, ne?"

"But what if they weren't being paid? What if it was out of love?"

"That's even worse, because then they're shirking off work... Plus, geisha don't love," she added, frowning.

"I'm telling Sakura-neesan that you said that," Roden threatened.

"Tell her if you want," the vampire snorted, waving a hand lazily. "She already knows how I feel about her kind. Think about it, though. Yes, Sakura loves _us_ dearly, but we're all one big family, ne? Have you ever seen her all excited over a man?"

He held his tongue, and she smirked in satisfaction, just as they stopped at the okiya's front steps and the woman in question stepped out of the decorative front shoji. "Why the sudden interest in geisha?" she asked, in a tone that implied that she understood quite well where his interest was coming from, and warned him to shut up about it. "Thinking of becoming one?" A casual, teasing afterthought, loosening the atmosphere.

"No deshi of mine's gonna be a geisha, let alone a male deshi," Jaden barked, unsheathing her katana and looking it over.

"There are male—"

"I've pretty much stayed in Japan my entire two-hundred year life, Sakura," she scowled. "Don't insult me by barking out rules of my own culture. How'd you know we were here anyway?"

"You two are so loud."

Roden shrugged. "It's true enough. Half right, in any case." Jaden scowled and waved her hands at him as if to send him away.

Roden went to lean on a nearby tree, expecting the conversation to turn to the Shogunate at any moment, and wanting no part in it. Life was beginning to turn boring again. _Pretty soon,_ he mused, _I'll just have to go looking for trouble. I guess I could get a job or something to pass the time... Make some money...then I could afford a gei—_

He cut of that disastrous thought before it could progress any further and tuned back in to the two women's conversation.

Jaden was whispering into Sakura's ear, who spared a quick glance at him before her eyes widened and she turned to look seriously into her friend's eyes, grasping her shoulders.

"How could you agree to that?" she questioned in disbelief.

Somewhere in the midst of all the other bustling people, there came a gentle, barely audible laugh, and a, "That's just like you, Jaden-san. Telling secrets."

The trio had felt his approaching presence, of course, but the saner of the three, namely Sakura and Roden, acted surprised as he came into plain view. Jaden was not so tactful.

"Hoshijiro!" she squealed, quickly pulling herself out of the tree and running over to him. It took quite a bit of samurai discipline and self-control to keep herself from violently hugging him, but she somehow managed. "I knew that was your ki; I just knew it, but I wasn't sure you'd come visit me!"

The man rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, pushing his hand under his short ponytail and twisting his thin face into something between exasperation and nervousness. "I told you I was coming," he pointed out laughingly.

"But I didn't really think that you would..."

Sakura looked mildly amused. Roden smirked inwardly at this sudden good fortune. The odd couple hadn't spent much time together, so Roden hardly even saw the man. Since Hoshijiro had come looking for her, Jaden would probably—_definitely_—grasp the opportunity to be with him and take off into the city. Which would leave he and Sakura free to discuss the lack of Rai in his life these recent few weeks.

"I was hoping to go out for a drink with all of you," Hoshijiro explained to the overjoyed swordswoman that was now hanging off of his arm and the two still calmly rooted to their spots, smiling nervously as if they might maul him if they didn't really feel up to it.

Both Jaden and Roden's face fell when they realized that it was his plan to include all of them, but _he _quickly prepared to steer the man in a less crowded direction. It would be simple—Sakura tended to make the man shyly look down at his feet, Jaden made him stutter, but Roden...Roden absolutely terrified him. Roden couldn't recall ever doing anything to inspire this fear in the man—he had bullied him a bit back in June, but this fear had roots from several years before in Osaka. The moment they'd met. This bothered Roden. More so than it would have before he'd met Rai. Worse was the fact that he saw Hoshijiro even less than Jaden, and so didn't have time to try and fix whatever he had done. Perhaps it was simply a natural fear, like the fear that everyone else—save for Rai—held as well, but he liked to think that Hoshijiro was different because he was… what? An artist? He wasn't sure, but Jaden must've liked him for _something_.

It didn't matter. Roden decided to use the man's frightened personality against him just one more time.

Placing a hand on one of Hoshijiro's slim shoulders rather roughly, he said, "No, no, I really think you two should have some time alone."  
Hoshijiro shrunk back—Roden's voice was friendly enough, but the grip that he had on the smaller man's shoulder was a little intimidating—and began to stutter excuses, causing Jaden to slump even more in pathetic and uncharacteristic self-pity.

So Roden squeezed harder. Besides his own need to speak with Sakura, he was also rather embarrassed to find that he didn't much like Hoshijiro belittling Jaden in his subtle, probably unconscious way. She knew she could throw around nearly anybody with her swordsmanship, but, oddly, she had very little confidence in herself when it came to _this_ sort of thing.

Catching Hoshijiro's eye, he motioned discreetly to his sulking mentor.

"Aa...perhaps that is a better idea after all, taking into consideration my financial status and how much you can drink..." Hoshijiro mumbled, taking pity on the sullen swordswoman hanging limply from his arm. "And it would be nice to get to know Jaden-san better."

"Really, Hoshijiro?!" Jaden sniffed, eyes glittering as a sloppy smile came over her features. "D-do you want me to put on a nice kimono; I'm sure Sakura would lend me a nice one—"

He hushed her with a nervous laugh. "No kimono could enhance such natural beauty."  
She swooned—literally swooned—and clutched his arm again for support, while Roden simply marveled over how she of all women could fall for such a clumsy, frail man. (No doubt it must have been the compliments about the beauties of her body, the ones that only the cultured and starving could see.) Hoshijiro bowed deeply to them, which was quite a feat with the extra weight on his arm, and turned himself and Jaden around, back into the flickering lanterns leading to town.

Sakura remained smiling warmly to the couple's backs until they were without any shadow of a doubt out of hearing distance, even if Jaden was completely oblivious to everyone's except Hoshijio's voice anyway. Then, she gave a curt laugh, hiding her lips behind a sleeve of her bright red kimono. "How kind of you to do that, Ro-chan," she sighed happily. "Maybe there's still hope for you after all."

"Don't be stupid," he snapped. "I only sent them off because I need to talk to you."

She shook her head, exasperated, and her smile and kimono sleeve fell. "And about what...? No!—Let me guess. Rai-san, ne?"

He nodded eagerly.

She paused, but sat down after a few moments and pulled a paper fan out of her kimono sleeve, bringing it up to her face and hiding her lips behind it. "Listen, Ro," she continued, closing her eyes as if in deep thought. "...If you were to meet up with her in the street, exchange only the slightest bit more than bare pleasantries, and then leave, you could still manage to destroy her career."

"Is that what this is about?" he scowled. "Yare, yare. Jaden with her politics and you with your _floating world_. You're all out to destroy my life, ne?"

"I'm serious!" she insisted. "Judging by her dress and makeup, she's still a maiko, an apprentice geisha. Meaning she's probably still trying to make a good impression on her superiors. And hanging around with a filthy street ronin doesn't make for a good impression. No offense, of course."

"Of course," he snorted sarcastically. "Anyway, you always hang around me and Jaden, and you don't get any trouble over it."

She sighed. "This whole system is so difficult to explain to someone as clueless as you... First off, I am a full-fledged geisha, and older, so I have a lot more freedom that a maiko would have. Second, Jaden is a woman. Not to mention, samurai class by marriage. And you, street ronin or not, will always be seen as nothing more than my darling nii-chan to the staff of this okiya. And Kazunori is my _danna_, so normally, he wouldn't be causing too much trouble either."

"_Danna_?" he asked, recognizing it as something Jaden had mentioned earlier.

"Oh, you know so little, don't you?" she sighed, provoking a glare from her companion. "A geisha's _danna_ is a man much like her other patrons, except for that he takes care of all of her funding, like paying for kimonos and shamisen lessons. And in turn, she is usually much closer to him than her other customers, and performs for him more often. And he gets...ah, _special privileges."_

"So you are just high-class prostitutes..."

She waggled a slim finger at him roughly, insulted. "Tsk. We sell our skills, not our bodies. You're just like Jaden, aren't you? I suppose trying to explain would be a waste of time, then. Forget it." She waved a hand lazily and began to head back into the okiya.

"Don't compare me to her," he snapped. Sakura smiled sweetly and turned back to him in a single swift movement, and only then did he realize the trick. In an attempt to keep control over the situation, he asked, "Why did you say it was strange that she knew what vampires were?"

Sakura regarded him skeptically. "A century isn't long enough to understand my culture?"

"I don't strive to understand your culture. Tell me while I'm listening."

She sighed but took the chance all the same, not sure if she had won or lost the argument. "You might not realize it, since you're from America," she explained, "but vampires are Christian myths. You know--the cross, holy water. None of that has a thing to do with Shintoism or Buddhism, and other religions haven't exactly been welcomed in Japan since...oh, sometime in the 1600's. So most Japanese people don't have the slightest idea what a vampire is."

"Since when?!" he demanded. He was sure that some people he had met must have had at least a faint idea. Grimacing, he wondered if Hoshijiro knew what a European bloodsucker was, and if Jaden planned to give him the news if things became more serious for them.

"Why do you think there's not even a word for 'vampire' in our language, Ro?"

He considered. It made sense when he thought about it, and even seemed helpful to them, in a way. For example, if Jaden did tell Hoshijiro, and he'd never heard of a vampire before, there wouldn't be any of that "Oh dear, you evil, unholy creature, you're going to drain me dry" nonsense. But the fact that Rai had heard of them meant that she was either a secret Christian, or from a well-educated family—and one in favor of Westernization. The latter would give a reason for she and Outa's "childhood friendship," since he was _very obviously_ interested in Western culture.

Sakura continued, moving on to things that she deemed more important before Jaden had a chance to come trotting back to them. "Now, the fact that she's a maiko...well wait, now. She dresses and acts like a maiko...but she seems old enough to be a full geisha. She must be turning her collar very soon."

"'Turning her collar?'" he repeated, frustrated. Things were complicated enough anymore without an influx of new vocabulary terms to memorize—though it seemed too late to back out now. Just from the last half hour, he remembered three new words.

"That's what it's called when a maiko becomes a full geisha, because instead of wearing an under kimono with a red collar, she wears white," Sakura explained ever-patiently.

She waited for a rebuttal, expecting nothing less than sarcasm from Roden. And he was trying hard to think of one, before she suddenly winced as if in immense pain and groaned.

"Oh no..." she mumbled, to herself now rather than to him. "That means she's still a…" She then looked back up at him and snapped, "Yes, you'd _definitely_ better _stay away from her_, Ro! Do you understand me?!"

Roden had taken a startled step back at her outburst, and was left holding his hands up in a defensive position as she glared at him expectantly. In all honesty, no, he didn't _completely_ understand, but didn't think it a good time to say so, and nodded feebly. "But, Sakura...what if she doesn't want to be a geisha?" he asked after a pregnant silence.

Her features softened. "No one chooses to be geisha, Roden, you stupid boy. You need to remember that virtually all geisha are sold to an okiya through the slave trade when they're young, as orphans or means to pay off a poor family's debt."

"But you..."

"I am a different story," she sighed. Catching him before he had a chance to speak, she added, "Forget it—I'm not going to give you an autobiography. Not tonight, at least."

He was troubled. He had known that not all geisha were satisfied with their line of work, but still thought that they had some say in the matter. Besides, women had no rights anyway—constructing their happiness was a big project best left for someone else. "Can't they run away?"

"It's better than outright slavery or prostitution, so most accept the life if they don't have anywhere to go. Rai-san, though...she doesn't act so willing. But she also seems to be a quiet and subtle person, so I suppose she can quietly rebel without getting herself thrown into Shimabara. She must be a popular one if her okiya is so intent on keeping her as a geisha rather than a servant."

"No, she must have some family," he protested. "I heard her say something about an oneesan, I think."

"Ah." Sakura nodded. "Her 'honorable sister.' That's a full-fledged geisha who takes a maiko under their wing and teaches them how to be geisha. And just like in swordsmanship, an apprentice without a good teacher is doomed to failure."

He was quiet for a while, wondering if Rai could possibly be happy living the unattached life of a geisha. At first, she didn't seem like an openly affectionate and passionate person, but he knew just from the few times he had met up with her that there was quite a bit more to her.

"If you think you really like her, then you could...ah, never mind," she sighed, fidgeting. She seemed on the borderline of telling him something that would make him very happy and not telling him this thing, whatever it was, to preserve some dignity. Nervously, he debated over pushing her to continue—he was sure that with some eye-batting and whining she would give in—or letting her be and getting the whole, uncensored truth from Jaden later, thinking that it would be better to wait but unsure if he could.

No, no, no. Roden certainly did not compromise with old women—he decided he would have both, and half-yawned, half-sighed as he rested an arm on Sakura's shoulder and let his head loll backwards so that he was looking to the sky, letting his eyes flutter sleepily closed. Just as slowly and tactfully, he sank down onto the okiya's porch, using his arm to drag Sakura down with him.

"Mou, Sakura-nee," he drawled, moving his arm to lean his head on her shoulder instead. "Do you think she's happy?"

"As happy as she's going to be, probably," she snapped, knowing exactly what he was attempting to do. "Stop that—"

He pouted, caught. She was getting too smart too fast. "No, I meant Jaden," he reasoned, trying to outsmart her. "Does Hoshijiro understand what he's gotten himself into?"

"Mm," she grunted unspecifically. "Well, he doesn't understand her relationship with the Shinsengumi captains, and he doesn't really understand why she does the things she does, but...I'm still inclined to believe that it's not completely hopeless, because he_ gave her a chance_. He just needs to take the time to understand what kind of person she is, and that the way she acts around men is completely harmless. I mean, she does the same thing to you, and you're just her moronic little brat-child. That's a direct quote, by the way."

He snorted. "That's an awfully romantic thought for a geisha. I say that Hoshijiro just can't handle such a little fireball, and that's all there is to it. Hell, he can barely take care of himself! Have you seen his torso bare? I've counted his ribs before."

"Roden..."

"What any woman needs is a strong, steady man who can buy her things, yes?"

Sakura was caught between a deep scowl, a glare, and raising her eyebrows skeptically, and the result left Roden with his arms over his head, braced for a slap or a punch or a cuff. But instead, she stood up and put her hands on her hips, turning away from him. "Oh, don't act all ignorant; I know you're not _that_ shallow" she choked, as if trying hard not to laugh. "And is this ideal man you're talking about, is this supposed to be you? Ha! I'm sure those _charming qualities_ are the reason that you've had so many _long lasting_ and _meaningful_ relationships."

He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? I could support a wife if I wanted to."

She waved a hand at him laughingly. "Maa, you're a ladies man with no income! Get your mind off that pretty little geisha, Ro-chan!"

"But I wasn't—"

She waved him silent and pulled open the okiya's shoji, before informing him roughly that she needed to start getting ready for a former engagement and stepping inside, closing it with a bit more force than absolutely necessary.

--

A/N—Phew. That one took a while to edit, strangely. My computer has been acting funny. I think it needs to go. Ah, last day of school was todayyyyyyy! Yes! Of course, I still have to go back for several regents, though. Pfft, I hate New York. But whatever. Ugh, I can't even remember what I wrote about in this chapter…Ah! Jaden is finally accepted into the Shinsengumi. How was the fight scene? I fell like it should have been more intense or something. Blah. Well, hope you enjoyed.


	11. Tears and Shakespeare

A nice new yukata and haori

_Chapter Eleven: Tears and Shakespeare_

_A nice new yukata and haori? _**_A nice new yukata and haori?!_**_**  
**_ Roden stared at his mentor—no, at his_ uncle_, Kazunori Toshiro—with disbelief as she—no, he—held up the new outfit she had mentioned getting him the night before.

It was hideous. The yukata seemed like it just might be a tad bit too short for him, and the haori looked like a heavy winter overcoat more than any kind of summertime cover-up. But worse, the haori was striped black and lavender, while the yukata was a full, obnoxious violet. Purple. They were purple.

Jaden read his mind. "Ro-chan, purple is the color of royalty."

"Not in my country."

"Oh stop. My daddy—"

"You mean the dead daimyo of an extinct fishing village?"

She instantly turned to stare at the ground, mumbling about checking that her outfit was convincing, and Roden winced, realizing his own stupidity very quickly. Jaden speaking of her family was practically unheard of. In fact, he had gotten what little information he knew about them from Sakura, and even then it had only been through much culinary bribery, eye-batting (because back then it still worked), when Jaden herself was very far away, and with a pinkie promise not to outright mention it to her. (Which, he supposed, he had just broken.)

Jaden was the illegitimate child of a daimyo and his mistress, who was a blonde-haired, green-eyed foreigner from present-day Germany. Four years after she was born, the Shogunate banned foreign ships from coming into Japan, and refused to let any of their own out, and foreigner became a term that struck sick disgust in the hearts of Japanese public. So naturally, it didn't work out. Her mother was murdered along with her father, and she was shipped off to an illegal children's pleasure house in Osaka, though she was lucky enough to just be a serving girl. Enter Sakura, who somehow managed to keep her alive until she matured a bit and met her terrible, awful mentor.

It was hard to believe that someone with Jaden's patriotism and loyalty to the Tokugawa was a mixed child. She didn't talk about it, but didn't exactly try to hide it, either. She had mentioned something of the sort to Rai at the Gion Festival, after all, but she didn't seem to be horribly ashamed. Nor was she proud.

Puzzling over it, Roden decided, was as pointless as arguing with her about his outfit, especially with the guilt he'd just given himself. Sighing, he called to her that he was changing, and would be ready in a few minutes, receiving a noncommittal grunt in reply.

He ducked behind a changing screen and began to undress, glaring at the heap on the floor that was his expected uniform. The last thing he wanted to do was come off as a Shogun-loving anti-revolutionary, even less one who wore such an immasculine color, but there was no way of deterring Jaden from this one. Plus, she'd promised him money if he behaved, and he wanted badly to flaunt some _income_ to Sakura for her comment the night before. As for the "ladies man" part...well, he really couldn't help that, now could he? If women adored him... Well, he supposed he could beat them off if he ever needed to be loyal to one person. Sakura was wrong, he concluded as he pulled on the white underrobe of the yukata.

That reminded him of her nervous behavior around that word. Or rather, the lack of that word, whatever it was. He should stay away from Rai because she was a… A what? He really couldn't take it to heart if he didn't know _what_ Rai was. He played with the thought. Rai was a vampaneze? No. Rai was a man? Having seen boys like Okita Souji walking around, who would look wonderful in a kimono, this was possible but unlikely. Rai was a kunoichi? She didn't have the time and seemed a bit too slow-moving and cloudy-headed. Rai was a cat? That made no sense at all.

Pulling on the lavender haori over his yukata, which he'd changed into while thinking, he turned slightly to check that everything was at least on properly and all tied, and noticed Jaden standing behind him, frowning.

"Damn you, how long have you—"

"Your back isn't horribly muscular," she interrupted, trying hard to pretend that his comment about her father hadn't bothered her.

He played along. "Well I'm sure if I examined you naked, I'd find some flaws as well. Actually, I can name some right now—"

"Hoshijiro says that I have pretty hips!" she argued, putting a hand on said body part and uncharacteristically turning a rosy pink, as she so often seemed to do when talk turned to the artist.

"He said something like that to you already?" Roden teased, frowning. "Artists are really weird. Next you'll be shunning society."

"Shut up! That's the_ first_ thing _you_ would say to a woman, and you hate society as well." She hopped out from behind the screen and fled towards Kyoto, holding her woven hat onto her head as she laughed happily.

He gave himself one more once-over before running after her, but by time he caught up, the gardens were passed and her blush had faded. She slowed to a walk, reasoning aloud that it didn't really matter if_ she _were late.

"Aa," he agreed coolly, slowing down so that their strides equaled out. "So...Sakura told me to stay away from Rai because she hasn't turned her collar yet and she's a..."

Just as calmly and uncaringly, Jaden answered, "Virgin," and kept walking.

But Roden couldn't help but stop and wonder if she was joking, or if he'd misheard her. Jaden stopped, turned, and asked him if she had accidentally whapped him with a thorn bush.

"Did you say...?"

She frowned as if unsure why he was so upset. "Does she seem like she's not? Yeah, I guess she does seem a bit like a dumb whore. But I think if she wasn't they'd kick her out of the okiya. She's still a maiko, after all."  
"What does that have to do with…" Roden began. But he stopped at Jaden's cruel grin, and started to get the idea that somewhere between being an apprentice geisha and being a full-fledged geisha was sex.

"I would say you could buy her," Jaden put in, pointer finger to her lips as if she was thinking, "but Kazunori has to disappear soon so income may be off a bit."

"Buy her? Like _buy_ her virginity? Where's the fun in that?"

"Ah, now you sound like your old self again."

"Anyway, _why _is Kazunori disappearing?" Roden asked suspiciously.

She let him get a few paces ahead of her before pouncing onto his back with a loud peal of girlish giggling. "I'm so glad you've developed this crush; it means you really do think of women as people! It's so cute..." she mewed, placing a hand to her cheek as she clung onto him with the other. "If only she weren't a loyalist..."

He scowled. "Don't dodge the question!"

"Well anyway," Jaden gushed, ignoring him, "I figured that she's only a geisha, so she can't really be 'Choshu,' so to speak." Then, she pressed her fingers together around his neck sheepishly and fidgeted, clearing her throat and continuing with, "Plus, I...well...never mind." She slid off his shoulders and straightened her hat morbidly.

"Hey!" he demanded. When he didn't receive a reply, he turned around and caught hold of her shoulders, expecting there to be some catch to her newfound understanding, and wanting to be able to watch out for it. "Come on. What were you going to say?"

Jaden only squirmed further under his gaze, but when it came to their brute strength, the results were fairly obvious, and she gave in when, annoyed with her attempt to escape, his grip started growing rougher.

"I just...I was thinking, and we really need to trust each other!" she blurted out, looking embarrassed with herself. "Like it used to be before that...before the Black Ships came and started this whole social upheaval..._thing_, and before the Mibu-Roshi came to Kyoto! We used to be like this...we could read each other's thoughts because we were so close! Telekinetic!"

"You mean telepathic...?" he asked quietly, slightly stunned by the outburst.

"Yes!" she confirmed, nodding vigorously before continuing. "And every master I've ever had has only wanted to use me, so a while ago I made a resolution to never be like that to any of my students, but they all still left once their training was done with! You're the only one who stayed, Ro! You're my...my hero! My nii-chan! My moral balance!"

He was beginning to fear that she might also confide in him that he completed her, and whip out an engagement ring, before reminding himself that that was a Western tradition, so Jaden wouldn't know about it anyway. But it was still unnerving to hear her going on and on, making less and less chance that it was a joke. He wondered, was it Hoshijiro's loving treatment of her that caused her to break down and spurt her emotions out?

And worse, he was consenting. She was tearing up, and he was breaking down and trying hard to think of a way to console her, and feeling guilty for drifting away from her so. She was crying, and he was looking around nervously. She was _bawling _and his arms were snaking around her unconsciously.

"Yoshi, yoshi," he cooed, rubbing her back gently. "It's my job to take care of you, and you to take care of me, ne? Now come on, we'll be late."

In a comforting display of her usual character, a massive mood-change left Jaden angrily wiping at her eyes, face tinged pink under her straw hat. "Moron! You totally distracted me! Well, at least we'll be fashionably late... Come _on_!" She continued walking down the trail, straightening her clothes and wiping at her face hurriedly as she did so.

"So why is Kazunori disappearing, again?" he asked a few minutes later, not sure if she had mentioned it or not.

"Hm? Oh, well, don't we have enough money saved to just hang out for a while?

"Yeah, but since when do _you_ want to take a break from the insanity of the thing that is your double life?"

She looked up at Roden with her mouth open in an O shape, eyes still slightly red, and connected her hands behind her back. After a few moments of this, she looked away and replied, "I've found something better to do. But I don't think I'm getting paid—I've just got this feeling that I won't."

Roden had been worried for news of the Shinsengumi, but relaxed when she said this, reasoning hopefully in his head that then she would be getting three ryo a month. Unless...no, he would stick with the optimism and leave it at that. He nodded stoically and they continued silently.

--

They did eventually make it into Gion, and without further incidents. Roden was still slightly unnerved by his mentor's brief breakdown, but managed to find comfort in the usual, clockwork stares of the women he passed—who seemed to be more interested in him tonight than usual. Which was, of course, the result of him looking like he had money. For once.

Jaden made a quick turn, rudely letting herself into a decorative teahouse; one that looked exactly like all of the others—it was a wonder that she could be so sure of where she was going when she never spared any attention to the signs that were the only things there to mark the teahouses as being different from one another.

Immediately several serving girls, wearing plain sky-blue kimono with a few indigo flowers scattered scarcely over them and only a small amount of makeup, bounced around her, singing out honorifics and ushering her to whatever room she was due in in bubbly voices, while Roden remained an unknown face, and therefore, unimportant and virtually nonexistent to them. Being invisible was a comfortable notion, but knowing that in reality they were simply ignoring him, the experience only served to further his suspicion that Kyoto was a place full of people who were either bloodthirsty or money-hungry, and that was it. Then again, he supposed that some of them could be both.

The two serving girls that were still with them kneeled to the ground and reached to grab either side of a plain shoji tinged the same subtle blue that they were wearing, pulling their respective door towards themselves; keeping their heads painfully low all the while. Jaden strode inside with what seemed to be the manliest stride she could muster—carefully controlling the swing from her hips and hanging her arms slightly outwards from her body, just barely curved towards her in a cruel parody of a man curling his arms inward to proudly flex his biceps. Roden politely inclined his head to the serving girls with a small smirk before following her in.

"You're la-a-ate," jokingly tutted a boyish voice from inside as she moved to a cushion. Roden couldn't help but scowl at the sound—there was no mistake. He was sure his eyes found Outa Itaru's round face before even those of Jaden, who would certainly be quick to cast a warning glance over the kid, and remained there until he looked up at Roden from his cushion.

At first, Outa's expression was curiously surprised, but he soon recovered into a diplomatic smile, which Roden took to be his usual front. "Ah, Roden-san," he half-laughed. "I had no idea you were related to Kazunori-san!"

That meant, Roden thought, that they had already been lied to about him being Kazunori's nephew. And that Outa had suspected that he wasn't anything more than a street ronin, and therefore not really one of Rai's clients. At least now_ that_ idea was reinforced—whatever difference it made.

He wore the same Western-styled suit that he had worn at the Gion Festival, or so Roden assumed, as only the top of the dress shirt and tie was showing from underneath a traditional navy yukata, which he seemed to be fairly uncomfortable in. Beside him sat a middle-aged, thin-faced man with neat black hair in a formal topknot, narrow brown eyes, and a seemingly-permanent frown. The two looked nothing alike besides their identical yukata (the older man, though, lacking the light blue collar and tie), but they both had small twin crests embroidered into the chest of their clothes, leading Roden to take the older one to be Outa's father. On either side of them were various other diplomats, all unnervingly similar in appearance to the man, furthering the shocking image of Outa's blonde locks and blue-grey eyes.

"Feh," he answered calmly as he sat down next to Jaden and across from the young man. "Would you, Outa-san, go around advertising it if_ you_ were related to Kazunori Toshiro?" He felt Jaden's eyes on him, no doubt glowering beneath her hat.

Outa laughed slightly. "Please, Roden-san, 'Outa-san' is this man next to me." He motioned slightly to his stern-faced father. "'Itaru' is perfectly fine."

Awkwardly, Roden nodded, remembering how Rai had demanded the same from him. "Only if I can be just 'Roden,'" he agreed, propping his elbows on the small, long table between them, then remembering himself and placing his hands politely in his lap.

"Mou, Kazunori-san," Itaru, he supposed, chuckled, looking to Jaden nervously. "I fear that you've come so late that our entertainment will be here too soon for us to do business. Though, I don't particularly mind."

One of the men at the end of the table, thin and rugged-looking, snorted. "Probably got held up by an overzealous Wolf Pack, ne, Kazunori? Those bloodthirsty Mibu-ro are arresting damn near everyone who isn't one of them since Katsura's hasn't been found after the Ikedaya Incident—not that they could find him before, of course."

Jaden's hands were curling and uncurling into fists in her lap; Roden suspected that she was trying to restrain enough of her anger to politely inform the man that they were called the Shinsengumi nowadays, and that they didn't appreciate any of their earlier names from before they were heroes. But Itaru was too quick for her, and sighed dismissively, waving a hand around.

"Mou, I don't understand why you're worrying," he said, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Actually, what I don't understand is how anyone could be snuck up on by those Wolves; that gaudy blue-and-white uniform is visible from a town away!"

"Tch," added his father coolly. "And that particular _shade_ of blue—In Edo, you'd be called a backwoods samurai for wearing that color. But I suppose that is what they are. After all, one of their Vice-Commanders _is_ a farmer's son, you know."

Roden gave her credit for containing herself long enough for the man to get out his whole rant, though he did wonder why she was suddenly standing up for Hijikata when she said the same and worse about him. But when she spoke, he realized she hadn't even registered that part; what she was upset about was their snide remarks about the group's bold stripes.

"Well, we _are not_ in Edo, and they _are not_ backwoods samurai!" she snapped, her voice threatening to leap back up to its usual octave. "Those stripes are in honor of the raid scene of the 'The 47 Ronin,' based on the real Ako-Roshi! And the color is the same that the Ako-Roshi had to wear while they committed seppuku! They were loyal, devoted samurai—"

"Don't jump to their defense so quickly," warned the rugged man from the end of the table quietly, staring at her through untrusting, narrow eyes. "People might be less willing to sit amongst you if they thought you were a Shinsengumi-hugger."

She lowered her fists, which had popped up in the middle of everything. "Feh," she spat. "I was standing up for the Ako-Roshi, not those..." with some difficulty, she managed to hiss out, "_hounds_. But to insult the tale of the 47 Ronin is..."

All of them murmured in agreement, save for Itaru, who yawned. "Oh please," he half-whined irritably, closing his eyes tiredly and sounding like a determined-to-rebel teenager. "The 47 Ronin, the Yotsuya Ghost Story, _kabuki in general_; it's all so _mainstream_! I'll tell you what a good story is: _Romeo and Juliet_, by this Sh...Er...well his name isn't important!"

Everyone except Roden seemed baffled, but he didn't notice, and immediately spat, "_Romeo and Juliet?! _That stupid story is the biggest, most boring load of shit I've ever had the displeasure to lay eyes upon. _The Taming of the Shrew_ and _Much Ado about Nothing_ are far better than that cliché monstrosity, and if you want to stray so far, _Don Quixote_ is better than all of Shakespeare's works put together."

Itaru seemed not to care that he had just been told that his story of choice was immensely stupid, though he was apparently feeling something, as his mouth had fallen ever-so-slightly agape, and his small glasses were sliding slowly down the bridge of his nose.

"Feh, another weird one," came a lazy, skeptical voice from behind the shoji. The two screens separated to reveal a slender young man wearing a conceited half-sneer, half-smirk on his thin lips. His slimness gave the impression of royalty, along with his long, arrogant face, his heavily-lashed, calculating eyes that seemed almost to be crimson in the dim light of the threshold of the room and the hall outside, and long the long raven locks pulled into a ponytail so tight on his scalp that Roden could nearly feel pain just by looking at it. His clothes were nearly as ornate as a geisha's kimono and haori as well, so thickly embroidered that they must have cost more than both he and Jaden's master-swordsmith-crafted katana.

He stepped forward a bit, failing to acknowledge the serving girls as he put a pretty hand to his hip and frowned at the table, grudgingly sauntering femininely over to the end between Itaru and Roden. The former seemed accustomed to such snobby behavior, but Roden nearly squirmed in his seat as the man's eyes roved over himself and Jaden disapprovingly, before he turned his nose up and looked away from them, staring boredly to somewhere at the other end of the table.

"And," Jaden drawled suddenly, also looking away pointedly, "everyone whines about my being late."

There were a few short, forced laughs. The man half-smirked, half-sneered at her in a way annoyingly like Hijikata Toshizou, and replied, "They are accustomed to my unfortunate lateness, lateness due to conditions that are out of my hands. But to see you, Kazunori-san, who is always in such a hurry, turn up tardy..." He shook his head and sighed mournfully, then suddenly turned a burning gaze onto her straw hat. "Well...you must not be in such a hurry tonight, then. Please, do take off your traveling clothes."

"Forgive me, I've grown quite used to them," she answered curtly. "And it is a bit chilly in here, yes?"

They glared at each other briefly, then turned simultaneously back to their fellow diplomats. Business slowly progressed. Worthless words like "funding" and "Emperor" floated past Roden, who simply did not care enough to listen. He had promised that he would come, but had made no other commitments, after all. He did make a few sarcastic comments about the Shogunate when he caught full sentences, which earned laughter from everyone except Jaden.

Itaru and their latest addition, Roden noticed, were both stealing glances at him. The former was blinking at him interestedly whenever the thought he wasn't looking, and seemed anxious for the meeting to move faster. On the other hand, the newcomer was making no attempt to hide his glances—so much so that he was really actually staring; looking Roden's profile over with a lazy smirk on his face. It was unnerving, even more so than Itaru's excited looks.

Then, the geisha came and uprooted everything. There were a few typical-looking women, who scattered about the room to various men, but among them was a gorgeous and petite woman, smaller even than Jaden, but with lips and hips and breasts and normal brown eyes. Granted, they both had hair of perfect and beautiful raven, but this other woman's actually seemed to behave and stay where she wanted it to, and was tied into the traditional style, trinkets with plums and their blossoms hanging off of her head, with a deep purple kimono to match. She sat herself down neatly and deliberately between Itaru and his father.

Jaden seemed unhappy about their appearance. She'd been in the middle of a sentence about something presumably important when they'd first shown themselves, but stopped abruptly as they scattered themselves about the room, chattering, and simply glared, making no effort to continue. Yet, it seemed this was the smartest thing to do, as no one else really seemed like they were about to listen to her.

A few were gathered around the late coming man, but he seemed almost bored, and continued to observe Roden, but more furtively now. The plum woman was now pouring tea, sweetly consorting back and fourth between the two Outas, tittering with a hand over her lips just like the rest of her comrades. His father seemed quite at home with the scenario, but poor Itaru was turning very red very quickly, wringing his hands and refusing to make eye contact with the woman as she continued to laugh and press against him.

Until, that is, she mentioned something about an "Ayano," and he suddenly bristled and looked into the woman's eyes indignantly. Clearly upset, he slowly spat out, "_That isn't her name_."

The woman frowned, though only for a fleeting second. Then, she smiled sweetly again and raised her voice just enough so that everyone turned and listened politely when they heard her talking. "Well, well, it seems Ayano has convinced you to join in with her rouge cannonfire act. How will she ever become a lady when you encourage such behavior, Outa-san?"

"Cannonfire?" the feminine man chuckled darkly, raising an eyebrow as he finally tore his gaze from Roden. "Cannonfire isn't the right word, Ume. She is as cold and distant as ice, and that's the problem."

The woman, Ume, sneered for the quickest of seconds before turning back to her normal facade. "Yukio Daisuke-san is so cruel," she said sweetly. "Really, I am trying my best with her. Lately she's become at least a bit more warm than Kazunori-san," she teased, looking at Jaden and batting her eyes, oblivious to the fact that her charm would inevitably fail.

"But he has his Sakura," another woman teased, leaning on Jaden sensually.

"Right," Ume laughed. "But Kazunori-san, this is Kyoto! You can change up on your women whenever you want here."

"I guess I'm an Edo boy through and through," Jaden grunted in reply as she nudged the other geisha off of her shoulder, also muttering something vaguely like, "Buddha, Sannan-san, give me strength," in a tone only audible to Roden, who laughed lightly.

"Is she here?" Itaru questioned quickly, before the woman could notice Roden.

Ume leaned on him. "How cute, young love," she teased, resting her head on his shoulder. "Fine then. Ayano! Come on!"

All eyes fell expectantly on the shoji. Something behind it shuffled around, but no one entered. Ume kept up her smile, but she was clearly straining now. Sharply, she repeated the name and joked about keeping everyone waiting. Whatever was behind the door didn't move at all this time, and nothing else happened either.

Everyone looked back to Ume, who almost forgot to keep up her sweet face. She stood up, sighed, and shook her head in a falsely exasperated way, then made her way to the shoji. She had her back to them now, but Roden knew by her furious ki that she had given up the act, and when she reached the shoji, she threw it open with such force that he was surprised it didn't break. "Ayano," she hissed, trying very hard to sound amused rather than angry. "Stand up and _come here_."

Rai sat stubbornly on the floor, holding her knees to her chest and looking dolefully up at Ume. "That's not my name," she said quietly.

"Rai!" Roden breathed excitedly. Seeing her now, he felt as if the past few weeks had been full of awful withdrawal and loneliness, though in reality he had kept fairly busy.

"Roden?" she replied, her head snapping back in his direction, her expression bordering on surprise.

"Roden-kun," Ume drawled now that she knew his name. "Please don't encourage her. She's stubborn enough without anyone's help."

A few of the men laughed and Rai looked at them indifferently before standing up and taking a place beside Itaru. She proceeded to examine her fingernails, which were long and painted red to match the painfully striking kimono she was wearing. Her pale skin looked terrible in it and she seemed to know this, though Ume didn't. Rai stuck the nail of her middle finger into her mouth distractedly and bit it off.

Before she could spit it out anywhere, Daisuke swiftly intervened. "Ayano-chan," he muttered with sarcastic sweetness. Rai didn't look up at him, as she seemed determined not to respond to this geisha-name of hers, but her body stiffened slightly and unwillingly. Daisuke noticed, smiled and went on. "You really need to loosen up. How long do you think Outa-san will continue funding bad behavior?"

"Until his son stops liking bad behavior, no doubt," Jaden snorted from underneath her woven hat, eyeing Rai and Itaru skeptically.

Rai tilted her head, then suddenly leaned forward, bending over the table between them and examining Jaden, all the false interest she could muster showing on her pale face. Mouth slightly agape, eyes suddenly wide and excited, Jaden began to lean backwards away from the other woman and Roden and Itaru seemed to be the only ones realizing that all of Rai's newfound emotion was completely false. After a few tense minutes of invisible sparks undoubtedly flying between the two women, Rai pulled away and straightened out her kimono, face returning to boredom. In a monotonous tone she said, "Oh, forgive me, Kazunori-san. For a moment there, you looked so much like a woman that I thought... No. Never mind."

Eyes turned to Jaden, whose teeth were grinding. Roden was caught between laughing and very seriously fearing for Rai's life. He was sure now that Jaden knew that Rai had figured out about her double-life. Worse, he would be blamed for it later.

Daisuke laughed cruelly. "Really, you do, Kazunori-san. You might have to prove yourself now."

Jaden's head snapped up to look around the room. By now, everyone in the room was laughing and teasing her, though Daisuke, Roden noticed, looked mischievously serious. He was grinning at her even as she looked around worriedly at everyone else, and when she looked back to him, her ki felt like it was turning thick and black. She then looked and scowled at Rai, who was indifferent besides a slight upturn at the edge of her lips that may have been the start of a smile.

"Fine!" she snapped suddenly, standing up. "I'll prove it to you!" She leaned over the table at Rai, just as she had done. Rai began slowly tipping away as Jaden had done; waiting for verbal abuse, but instead Jaden suddenly lunged forward and kissed her.

7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

"She kissed her?!" Toklata yelped. "That's gross!"

"Well, it did work."

"Oh yeah!" Katie added, hitting her fists together. "When we were in London, Jaden tell me once that she had kissed a girl before. At the time it was a little strange, but I guess I get it now."

"It wasn't the first or last time, either."

"Oh really?" Ishin said, clearly exasperated with the talk when more important things were waiting to be talked about, and yet smiling a little. "I bet she kissed you, too, Sakura."

"Well, a lady doesn't kiss and tell."

Things went quiet again. Nobody seemed to have a comment, but eyes pleaded for Sakura to go on, mostly waiting eagerly for Rai's reply to the kiss. Sakura sat stubbornly looking back at her audience, looking sleepy. They were back in their hotel room, Ronin chopping vegetables in the attached mini-kitchen. Katie and Toklata had gone to fetch groceries the night before, but other than that and going out to eat, the group had stayed inside and out of potential harm's way.

"So Jaden's in the Shinsengumi now." Ishin finally said. The other four had expected him to be the first to speak about the more serious matters, and waited for a point to be made. "But nothing bad has happened yet. What month are we in at this point in the story?"

"July," Sakura quickly informed him.

He counted on his fingers, muttering months. "From the end of July to February is seven months," he informed them all curtly.

"But it's only the beginning of July."

He grunted, then sat back on the couch and sighed. "I hate this. Not knowing, and being stuck in this tiny room, not being able to enforce anything going on. You know, Ronin, you should have just let the Generals take care of Itaru."

"No," Ronin sighed, turning from his vegetable-chopping to face Ishin. "I couldn't have let Itaru get captured _again_. I'd be twice as guilty and he'd be twice as bitter when he escaped from your clutches—which he would have; I think you underestimate his craftiness. Itaru obviously didn't become a vampire to live forever or to drink blood or because he likes the night—he became a vampire for his revenge, and he sure as hell isn't going to follow your happy little rules. In case you haven't noticed, he's fighting, but not like a vampire. He's fighting us like a Choshu extremist. That means arson and dirty tactics, so prepare yourself for that, not nice, fair little face-offs between him and all of us." He sighed and turned around, back to the vegetables.

Ishin continued watching him for a few moments, before grudgingly standing up. "I'm taking a shower while we're here," he said stubbornly before stalking away.

"Are you really that worried, Ro?' Sakura asked. Ronin glanced back at the three of them and shrugged.

"Just being safe, for once," he said sourly. "And trying to make that moron understand why."

"Stop, Ro. We don't need to be fighting amongst ourselves."

"I feel sorry for Yamanami," Katie said suddenly, in a half-asleep tone. "Does he get an opinion about anything? And having a partner like Hijikata and someone like Jaden to look after. And that Okita—I dunno about that one. Seems a little...ah, bipolar. And Rai is...well, she's probably about at war with Jaden after that. And Itaru...he was so happy back then... Now I see why Ishin is worried. Even though it's a story from the past, I feel scared for what's gonna happen, y'know?"

"Yeah," Toklata agreed simply. Ronin and Sakura shared worried glances—they knew what was coming, but were still worried. It was stupid and distracting, and life was getting harder.

A/N-SORRYSORRYSORRY it took so long. I wanted to end it there but didn't really have enough, so I've been adding details whenever possible, which has been hard with my computer broken. Again, sorry, but hope you enjoyed it. Oh! And I also realized I didn't have a preview for this chapter in the last chapter. Sorry about that too. Anyway, I went to a theme park on Tuesday and got a hermit crab! Yay for cheering me up when my cat is missing! Also, I bought a Disney Villians Coloring book. **Scar is the best**. 3

Next Chapter: Roden's big mouth lets Itaru know that he's from the West, and soon the annoying boy is trying to convince Roden to teach him English. Roden decides to give it a try, through an agreement including Western food and seeing Rai. Then, Jaden is paid a visit by the elusive blonde kunoichi from Chapter Six and a page-boy of Hijikata's who leaves with her a list of conditions for her joining the Shinsengumi. She was right about not getting paid, but it gets worse than that.


	12. Sell Your Soul

Rai's eyes went wide and she shook her head angrily to try and escape, making an upset "MMF" sound

Chapter Twelve: Sell Your Soul

Rai's eyes went wide and she shook her head angrily to try and escape, making an upset "MMF" sound. Jaden finally pulled away, giving Rai a small "I-bet-you-thought-I-wouldn't-do-that-but-I-just-did" sort of smile, and sat back down. Roden had seen it coming long before anyone else—his hand had been placed exasperatedly on his forehead since the moment Jaden had stood up--but now he stopped to look at everyone else's expressions. Most of the businessmen had been kidding in the first place and were reprimanding Jaden for getting upset so quickly, while Daisuke looked amused, Itaru was a little upset at the breach in Rai's space, and Rai herself was indignant. Even when Jaden looked away and everyone else moved on, Rai was still staring with disbelief, brows drawn together angrily, her blue eyes more focused than ever before.

Roden couldn't help it—he suddenly laughed. For a month he'd had the picture of a stoic and cold woman in his head, but now was something new. And to his dismay, he couldn't _stop_ laughing, even when everyone else in the room looked at him. "I-I'm sorry, Rai," he choked out, "but you just look so scandalized. It's funny."

She seemed to realize—with a start—what she must look like and turned brattily away from both Roden and Itaru, regaining composure. And still, Roden was happy to see more emotion—he would have been worried if she hadn't replied to the kiss in a frantic manner, in any case.

Talk continued—but with more distractions and more alcohol ingestion—until everything wound down near midnight. Rai's face and posture were back to normal, but her ki was still seething at Jaden. Itaru seemed to somehow know and smiled sorrowfully at her from time to time; furtive looks that said "Shit happens," but presumably with some other word, as Itaru didn't seem like the type who would have a foul mouth.

Suddenly, Itaru's father and Yukio Daisuke stood up and straightened out their clothes, excusing themselves politely. Itaru seemed not to realize until they were almost out the door and quickly called out to him, "Oh, Father! I'm going to stay and talk to Roden for a bit. Please don't wait up for me."

"You're an adult, do what you want," Daisuke said, turning to give Itaru a smirk, while Itaru sent back a small smile that made the feminine man turn grudgingly and leave with Outa. Meanwhile, Roden let out a sigh at almost the same time as Jaden, who had been standing to leave—the smell of warmed alcohol and farm boy samurai was getting to both of their senses. The other businessmen and geisha filtered out without any interest in the few remaining, ready to take to their beds and prepare to do the same thing the next night. Oume gathered Rai with a calculating smile, and the two stopped at the door—Rai only because her onee-san had her by the wrist. She looked _about _ready to leave and kept sending Itaru looks of discontent, to which the reply was always a shrug of the shoulders on his part.

"Ah, Kazunori-san," Oume said sweetly, batting her eyes. "You know, if you like Ayano so much, we could work something out, my darling."

Jaden caught Rai's sudden stiff posture and smiled wickedly, seeing a chance to both ignore Itaru and to make Rai squirm. "Sure, let's talk about that," she said coolly, standing and walking through the shoji with Oume. Rai stood in the door, sending Roden a look that clearly relayed, "Can't you control her?" He pulled a face and shook his head apologetically.

Itaru put his hands on the table suddenly, a big smile on his face. "Roden-kun!" he sang. "You know them! You know Shakespeare!"

Roden nodded slowly, unsure of where things were going.

"But _how_; that's the question, isn't it? See, I've searched everywhere for translated works, but I can't find them anywhere! I even know bits of Dutch, but it doesn't help because they're all in _English_! English, Roden. So how—no, _where_—have you found readable copies of Shakespeare's works?!"

The boy hadn't taken a breath through the whole speech, Roden thought, and now Itaru was staring him down expectantly. "Oh, well..." he started, thinking back and trying to remain calm and unmoved by the boy's over-enthusiasm."I've been to see those plays at some point, I didn't read them." At the confused expression following, he added, "English is my native tongue, you see, so I—"

Once more the table was leaned upon as Itaru's eyes went huge, a grin slit his face, and he nearly dove at Roden. "English! English; you know_ English_?!"

Roden was glad for the table between them—after the night's events, his first thought had been that Itaru was going to lean in and kiss him. His answer was nervous and unsure. "Well...yeah. I'm actually from America, so—"

"America!

"Yeah, but I actually think I like London a bit more than any—"

"_London_!"

At this point, Roden figured on giving up on trying to speak, and waited for a point from Itaru. Rai watched quietly at the door and Jaden stuck her head inside for a brief peek. A strange silence, then, "Teach me English!" and Itaru was on the floor bowing.

Roden now saw the hole he had just dug for himself, but hoped to avoid falling in and quickly stood up and headed to the door. "Ah, gomen Itaru-kun, but I really need to take care of Jaden--Ah! No, I need to take care of Kazunori-san and—"

Jaden stuck her head in again. "I'm fine; who do you think you are?!"

"I'll pay you!" Itaru said, standing up and taking Roden's hands seriously. Roden pulled them away quickly.

"Maybe you should think about it, Ro. The Outa family pays well, so after a few weeks you could buy a gei—" Roden lobbed an empty sake bottle at her head. Itaru seemed not to notice, but Rai and Oume watched it scrape Jaden's ear with much interest.

"Itaru-kun, I'm sorry, but I don't think I'd make a good teacher," Roden said, turning and leaving the room quickly.

"Please, Roden!' Itaru went on, following him amongst everything. "You could even stay at my house so you don't have to travel! For free! We could be best friends, Roden!"

That was really more of a turn-off to the idea than anything else, and he continued stalking through the glow of the teahouse's lanterns until he made it outside. There the darkness had cooled the air considerably and he nearly stopped to enjoy it, while Jaden, Oume, and Rai followed the pair out into the night. Rai was watching Roden with a sour look, and then he remembered the promise to teach her about vampires and came to a sudden stop.

"Don't you miss anything from the West, Roden?! We've got a piano and books and we eat _pancakes_ with _forks_ and those sorts of things—" He ran into Roden.

"So, do you eat Western food a lot, Itaru?"

"Oh yes. I try to try a new meal from the West once a week and we've got lots of Western candy in stock for Sara—"

"Fine," Roden sighed, watching Rai's expression "I'll teach you English." Itaru took a large breath as if to yelp excitedly, but Roden cut him off sharply, fairly annoyed. "But I have sensitive skin so I'm pretty much nocturnal. Change your schedule to fit mine. And I'm not staying in your house." He expected an argument, but Itaru just nodded fiercely at him, blue-grey eyes round and excited like a child's. Rai also sent him a curt nod before she was pulled away by Oume, who seemed to have realized that Jaden's interest in her apprentice had been completely fake.

"Whoa, you just agreed?" Jaden asked, stalking between the two of them. Itaru suddenly yelped, waved goodbye to Rai, and then ran back into the teahouse. Jaden watched him with a half-amused expression. "Weird," she said. "He's weird."

A sort of semi-quiet finally sunk into the night as they waited for Itaru's return. Jaden stretched her arms into the air and looked up at the sky in hopes of seeing stars, but scowled upon seeing that Gion's bright lights blocked them out. Then, a sudden jump and she was glaring up at the top of the building.

"Takoda Jaden," sneered a voice from the darkness. Roden focused on the top of the building too now, and was surprised to see the blonde kunoichi crouching on the crest of the roof, staring down at them sourly.

"Oh, it's just you," Jaden replied.

"Just me? Should you act so lighthearted about it?" The kunoichi's voice was bitter and cold, full of scorn, dark eyes amused in a darkly playful sort of way though there was a frown on her face. Her hair that had before been straight was now in tight ringlets, but it was still loose, and her skin still just as pale. She was tall and very curvy, Roden now noticed, with large hips and breasts and a lopsided, half-caring way of standing—one leg supported her weight so as she could stick her hips out in a snobby way. The fact that she knew who Jaden was despite her still being dressed as Kazunori suggested a friendship between them, but everything else about the situation—their postures, their conversations—suggested loathing.

"Oh please. What are you going to do, you cow?" Jaden asked, smirking slightly.

"Listen, you breastless bitch," the kunoichi half-laughed, leaning forward slightly. "I just thought I'd tell you that Kazunori Toshiro sounds an awful lot like 'private fundraising' to me. Just a reminder that you'd best get rid of him."

Jaden snorted. "I've thought of that, slut. I just need to figure out how."

"I can help you with that. We just need some eyewitnesses, right? That boy there and Itaru-kun will work, right?"

Roden asked her skeptically, crossing his arms.

"You have terrible manners, boy. Now, Takoda, what do you say?"

Roden was about to reply with something about _her_ manners, but Jaden briskly interrupted. "The Outa boy is coming back out, so hurry up with it."

Much to Roden's surprise, just as Itaru burst back through the door with a slip of paper in his hand, the kunoichi lunged at Jaden from the rooftop. He bristled suddenly, ready to come to Jaden's aid, but then something about the pair's almost relaxed ki helped him to understand their conversation, and he backed off—it was an act. Itaru drew in a sharp breath when he stepped out onto the engawa and saw the two fighting, and then called inside to the serving girls.

"Perfect," both women muttered, continuing their false battle. The kunoichi drew out a kunai from within her obi and once sure there was due attention, stabbed into Jaden's arm, drawing blood. Jaden struggled away, throwing the kunoichi off of her and taking off into nearby bushes. The sounds of a sword being drawn and battle ensuing made him think what an idiot and coward he must look like standing there, and so he raced after them, crashing into the brush and trees to find kunoichi making sound effects on her own while Jaden hastily rubbed spit into her wound and changed out of her Kazunori attire. She ran off, motioning for him to return to Itaru while she made a hasty retreat, and he turned around again, annoyed. He stopped quickly to say something to the kunoichi—she stopped making the false fighting sounds and stared back at him—but he couldn't think of anything to say. He noticed, though, that her eyes were brown, which seemed strange for a blonde, but then she made a hand motion telling him to return to the crowd and give a report.

"Roden!" Itaru shouted as he returned to the teahouse yard. "What—what was that?"

"Ah, Kazunori-san seems to have been attacked," he replied, realizing too late that he hadn't shown nearly enough emotion.

"Sh-should you be a little more upset about it? And is he dead?" An awfully worried expression was on his face for someone who seemed to have the opposite beliefs of Kazunori, and Roden realized he was one of _those _people. Like Hoshijiro, but not. He had the nice-for-no-reason covered, but he was much more bright-and-sunshine-y, which made him twice as annoying. Roden wondered if teaching the boy English solely to catch glimpses of Rai was really worth the trouble, but there was no backing out now.

Roden snorted. "I didn't like him that much. And really, I think we'll call him missing. The two weren't there when I went after them."

Itaru seemed a little shocked with the lack of emotion, but soon seemed to think of something else and recovered diplomatically. "Well then—here's my address." He pressed the slip of paper into Roden's hands with a bit more care than needed. "So when will you come?"

"When will Rai be there?"

"Huh?"

_Shit_, Roden cursed to himself. A slip there—not like him at all, really. When had he become so stupid? He decided to blame it on the Shinsengumi. Or Hoshijiro. "When should I be there?"

"Oh, I don't know," Itaru replied thoughtfully, putting a finger to his lips. He seemed not to have noticed the slip at all. "A week or so? Maybe? Just pop in sometime soon. Between my father, Sara, Daisuke, and me, someone should be there to let you in."

Roden nodded quickly and looked down at the piece of paper. The district wasn't far from Gion. In fact, it was in the high end of Kyoto. He looked Itaru over again—yes, the boy did look like a spoiled brat, and of course, he needed to fulfill his desires for Western things somehow. Money was the easiest way. "Will I recognize it?"

Itaru grimaced. "Ah—I think so. Don't ask; just take my word for it, ne?"

"O-okay..."

"So I'll see you then!" He shook Roden's hand roughly and looked around. "I guess I've got to go now. And uh...about Kazunori-san..."

Roden shrugged. "Whatever. I hate him. He's a Shogunate dog who can only see his own side of things—I'm glad to be rid of him."

"You really don't care?" Roden shook his head and stared at the slip of paper again. The serving girls were staring at the pair, but Itaru turned to look back at them, and they quickly disappeared into the teahouse. "Well then!" he suddenly snapped, looking to the top of the building. "Ready, Sara?"

To Roden's surprise, the kunoichi was back on the roof. "Go home by yourself." she said lazily, looking at her nails. "I'm going to Shimabara for a prior engagement. Should have been there earlier, actually, you rotten brat."

"But Sara—"

She relinquished the katana at her hip and threw it at him. He tried to catch it, but only managed to jam his fingers and let it clatter to the ground. "There," she said. "Now you'll be safe, right?"

"Sara!"

She swiftly left, jumping to the next building, then the next, and the next, until she disappeared. Itaru was sulking, looking dejectedly down at the katana. "I'm going to be killed..."

Roden hated himself. "Afraid of the dark, Itaru?" he asked teasingly, though counting on having to escort the boy home.

Itaru looked up at him, expression childishly indignant. "Roden, this is Kyoto! Shouldn't you be, too?"

"Aren't you a samurai?" he asked in turn. He'd had the impression of wealth and dignity, but a daimyo or merchant wouldn't be meeting with Kazunori Toshiro and the like. Samurai was the only option left.

He looked away a little guiltily. "I've been meaning to learn the sword, honest, but I'm just no good at it."

"Oh, so you're one those diplomat samurai," Roden said. He'd heard about them from Jaden—a breed of samurai who were samurai in name only. They practiced business rather than sword techniques and weren't as loyal to the bushido as the 'old samurai,' as Jaden put it. Tradition was flying out the window with this revolt, and more and more samurai were reverting to this quiet life. Itaru nodded. "I guess I could escort you home if—"

"No, I'll be fine."

"But you were just—"

"No. I'm a samurai, after all." Wounded pride had a definite tone, and Itaru was using it. He picked up the katana. "Foul kunoichi... Thinking I need this." He started sulking away, and Roden watched him go with a worried expression.

He weighed going after the boy, but found that finding Jaden and figuring out what the_ hell_ was up with that kunoichi, Sara, was surprisingly important. He set off in search for her, hoping Itaru survived his walk home, and found her not long after, barely out of Gion. The city was dying down in this part and lanterns were out and passerby scarce. He ran up to her side and looked down at her wounded shoulder as they crossed a bridge over a river—he couldn't remember which river it was. The wound seemed to be completely better.

"Fucking kunoichi," she swore, seeming to know what he wanted without even looking up. "Neat freak has to make sure everything looks authentic. Has to tease, has to fucking stab, rip, stabbity. Bitch. Hate her. Whore."

"She seemed to know Itaru," he mused, crossing his arms. "Is she Sonno Joi?"

"Yeah, stupid Choshu--"

"So why didn't you kill her?"

Jaden kicked a rock into the river, anger barely concealed. She peeked up at Roden quickly, and then stared at the ground again. "Can't," she answered simply.

"_Can't?_ She's just a human, right? I didn't think—"

"No. _Can't_, because it's morally fucked up." As they passed a willow tree, she violently ripped a branch off.

"Has that ever stopped you from doing anything before? I think I'm missing an important detail."

She glanced up at him again, just as quickly, then looked away and said nothing for a while. Then, "Kazunori is dead, at least."

He suddenly and roughly pushed her without thinking, and she fell off balance and rolled down the bank into the river. He hadn't expected the tumble; under normal circumstances she would have been waiting for it and would have done something ridiculous like biting his arm. "What the hell? I didn't even push that hard."

"Shut the hell up! What was that even for?!" She climbed out of the water and back onto the bank, suddenly smiling evilly and jumping onto him. "A hug! A hug! A hug!"

"Get off!" He was trying hard to shake her off, and soon reverted to rolling around on the ground before realizing there was someone watching. The pair looked up at the spectator at the same time. He was a young boy, maybe fifteen, with short black hair, rolled-up white hakama, and an expression of mortification.

"T-takoda-san," he bit out with some distaste.

"Oh!" Jaden said, standing up and dusting herself off. "Tetsu-kun, I'm still not used to you. What is it?"

"Could you call me Ichimura-kun, at least?" The boy asked, looking down from a height only barely above hers and frowning."

"Oh, come on!" A short laugh, then she was happily patting his head, which clearly further upset the boy—who must've been up past his bedtime as it was. "We'll be sharing a master soon, so we should be close, right?"

This caught Roden's attention. He came to her side and started patting her head like she had done to the boy. "A new master, huh? That doesn't sound good. Who exactly..." he stopped, noticing that he was being ignored. The boy had handed a letter to Jaden and she flipped it open and read intently. He hung over her shoulder and noticed the neat writing, the professional look of the letter, then began reading when she didn't seem to protest.

_Takoda,_

_ I guess you got your way, huh? Damn bitch. But we'll put your powers to good use here, so I'm hoping you're not more trouble than you're worth. In any case, someone like you needs restrictions, so I've written you up your own personal Strictures. Consider yourself blessed and please sign away your soul below without a struggle, or else you're not joining._

_ 1. Stick with the other Strictures. Set a good example or you'll be slitting your gut._

_ 2. You're not getting paid for this. No arguing about it. Your skills will be a charity to our organization, though I suppose we can feed you at the very least._

_ 3. I guess you like the night. Sensitive skin or something, you pussy? No promises, but I'll try not to leave you out long enough to get sun poisoning._

_ 4. You're staying in my room. In the closet. Again, no compromises. You need someone to supervise you, apparently._

_ 5. An order from above is absolute. And in your case, above is not Kondou-san, but myself and Yamanami, directly. It can't be overruled by the captains or Kondou-san or any other officers. Your soul belongs to us._

There was a long space for Jaden to sign her name, then next to it, the horrifying end to the letter; what Roden had expected and feared and hoped against since the informal "I guess you got your way, huh:" a neat and seemingly satisfied signature reading_ Hijikata Toshizou_.

"Shishou!' he snapped suddenly, elbowing her."Why didn't you tell me?! When the hell did this happen?!" She shrugged nonchalantly. "You can't fucking join the Shinsengumi! It says right there you're signing away your soul! Are you that fucking stupid?!

"Quiet you. Anyway, Tetsu-kun, I'm glad that I know these now. Tell Hijikata I've got it down, and that he needs to work a bit more on his calligraphy." She handed the letter back to the boy without signing it, and Roden quieted as the he began to fold it up and turn away.

Suddenly he paused. "Hijikata-san _said _you would do that," he said accusingly, turning and thrusting the letter back into her hands. "Sign it!"

She turned surly. "Fucking hate that master of yours, Tetsu-kun."

"You mean_ your_ master."

"Too bad I don't have anything to sign with."

Messenger boy frowned and Roden smiled. She seemed determined not to sign, which showed that even _she _was thinking that the terms were a bit ridiculous, no matter how badly she wanted to join the Shinsengumi. She was_ thinking_ before making one of her almost trademark stupid choices, and it was a welcome change.

"Look, Takoda-san. I got up early today, just to hear that I had to hunt you down tonight. Do you know what time it is?" A shrug on Jaden's part. "It doesn't matter because I should be asleep right now. But I certainly can't go back without you signing, or it'll be no dinner and one hundred whacks to the ass come tomorrow. So sign the stupid thing." To Roden's horror, he produced a brush and container of ink from the folds of his gi.

She took the brush in her hand, but didn't take the letter back from the boy, who was holding it out with an annoyed expression. Roden watched her carefully—she was having an argument with herself, her hands moving everywhere in the process, from onto her hips to through her hair to almost reaching out for the letter. Tetsu soon grew tired of this and Roden almost thought he was going to give up, but to his dismay, the boy just reached behind him and pulled one of the katana from his back. He thought Testu might attempt to fight at first, but it was soon clear that that wasn't what was going on.

He looked a little guilty, a little put-out and went down on his knees, bowing. "Hijikata-san said that I should try to convince you with just words first, then offer a present," he said, averting his eyes angrily. "But he said if you're going to be stubborn and absolutely refuse then to go ahead and give you it as a bribe." He held up the gleaming katana. "From my master."

Jaden looked down with wide eyes, nearly drooling. Roden couldn't help but let his guard down and peeked as well—it was a rare beauty. Gleaming in places from the light of the red lanterns, it looked so elegant and wicked and seductive and so amazingly...expensive, and suddenly he knew this was it. Jaden took the sheath off carefully, and Roden knew that she couldn't resist the metallic shine and dainty, sharp blade, or the fashionably rounded guard or the surely famous signature beneath the tough metal hilt.

Before he could utter words to stop her, Jaden had quickly taken the letter away from Tetsu and dropped the sheath to the ground, then scrawled her name in the empty line. Tetsu was quick to grab at the paper again, as if he thought she might change her mind, while Roden stood terrified nearby. Even when Tetsu bowed and quickly ran away and Jaden stood holding and admiring her new katana, he wasn't sure what to do or say, because there was nothing he _could _do—it was done and on paper.

"Roden," she said suddenly, sounding dazed and looking up at him slowly. "I hate that man. I fucking hate him. He's so manipulative and clever, and it pisses me off. But everyone says we're just alike. Is that what I'm like?"

"No. _You're_ manipulative and_ stupid._" he bit out, coming closer. "And don't cry to me after I warned you, you moron."

"Sannan-san signed it too. I'll get to see him and Heisuke and the others all the time now, so it's okay."

"Yeah but—but at what cost?! I wish you would think things through! Hasn't this sort of thing happened to you several times now, and you still can't make a good decision?!"

"Shut up, Roden. You just threw your lot in with a loyalist pretty-boy, too, so I don't want to hear you talking."

"But I didn't sell my soul to him!"

"I said shut up!" she snapped, glaring at him and throwing her paper lantern to the ground in a childish fit of anger. "I've seen the Shinsengumi for the heroes they are for two years now, and finally I have a chance to join them—my friends, my little brothers. I couldn't pass it up."

"But you were going to!" he grabbed her by the collar of her gi. "You were thinking about it!"

"Well..." she looked at her sword again."Don't worry about me. I'll outsmart Toshizou and win in the end."

He raised her off of the ground so that they were eye-to-eye. "So this is a game to you? No one else is amused."

"It is a game," she said as calmly as she could manage. "At least, it is now. And I don't care what everyone else is doing or thinking, I want to_ win_ against Toshizou and I _want_ to take down the Sonno Joi faction. Making it all part of one big game is convenient and fun."

"Fun for who?!"

"Put me down, Roden." Her voice was still calm, but warning and dangerous. Like before a storm. "Remember who the child is and who the master here is."

"Oh really?" A snarl. He wasn't sure why he was suddenly so angry with her—she was telling him not to worry, and she_ was_ an adult, after all. But still, he was the one holding her more than a foot off of the ground while she was claiming to be so strong and great. "I'll kick your ass then bandage it up for you afterwards. Remember that I'm not your student anymore. I'm stronger than you; I'm_ better_ than you."

"You're not!" She squirmed and escaped his grip, then swiftly kicked out and knocked his feet from under him. "Stop being a brat!" she snarled as he landed on the ground next to the broken red lantern. "I'm going to see Hoshijiro or Sannan-san or Hei-kun or_ someone_ who isn't as stupid and childish as you are!"

Roden lay on the ground, hating her and hating himself and hating Hijikata Toshizou and Outa Itaru and even Rai, sure that things could only get worse from there.

--

A/N- Finally. I ran out of what was already written and had to do this chapter from scratch. :O So it took a while. I think everyone should just stop relying on me...completely. By the way, I'll be on vacation this coming week so...well, just don't expect anything. Though I doubt you would from me in that small amount of time anyway...

Anyway, that's how Jaden gets her sword. It was a tossup between here and later on in the story, but I just needed more for this chapter. Also, Itaru is just so cute here. The enthusiasm is too much. Sara, meanwhile, matches Jaden in foul-mouthedness. Blah. I don't know what else to talk about... Please Review.

Next Chapter: Life at both Shinsengumi HQ and Itaru's home seems to be not as terrible as Roden predicts. Jaden is happy and he's happy and no one he knows is dying yet. He learns a hobby of Sara's, then visits Ama-chan and runs into Yamanami.


	13. Propaganda, Synonymous, Detest

Roden couldn't beleive he'd had another fight with Jaden--even less that she had tripped him and then got away with winning the fight

Chapter Thirteen: Propaganda, Synonymous, Detest

Roden couldn't believe he'd had another fight with Jaden—even less that she had_ tripped _him and then got away with winning the fight. He wasn't sure if he should acknowledge that she had made a fool of him and apologize or if he should continue stubbornly avoiding her until they both went off to work at the end of the week. He didn't want to be on bad terms with her if they wouldn't be seeing each other often, and at that point he was. It was three nights later, and she had only spoke to him once. "The Gardens are yours alone now, so take care of them. Once this revolt is crushed and peace comes back to Kyoto, I plan on coming back and living happily with Hoshijiro, so keep the flowers watered and such," she had said, popping into his space. It had been in a casual, happy tone that might have been a potential apology or at least a chance to talk, but he stubbornly chose to ignore her. He had felt her sudden frown and angry steps away but didn't think until hours later that he may have made a bad choice. In any case, she had been staying away from him since, even though they both new they should be spending her last days of freedom together.

But he did have a lot to think about, which also kept him busy. Was he really still the childish and wide-eyed vampire's assistant that he had been so long ago? He'd long since officially stopped being Jaden's student, was just hanging around to keep her out of trouble, and yet he still called her Shishou and they still acted just the same as when he really was a uneducated whelp. But he was older and wiser, and in pure brute strength, stronger than her now, but he supposed she could still beat him. Though his mastery of swordsmanship and dismissal from Jaden so long ago should have been the point where he became better than her, it seemed that had never happened. He had never thought about it before, and now resolved to beat her in a fight so he could claim this...this _almost-right-of-passage _that he'd somehow missed.

On the forth night after the meeting and their fight, he told her this plan while she was eating a plum and reading a book in the Gardens. "Oh, talking to me now?" she replied, sighing. "The silent treatment was childish too, after I tried to put it aside. Maybe that's why you can't beat me."

"What are you talking about?" he snorted, trying hard not to get angry all over again. "You give me the silent treatment all the time. Besides, how did this even happen? Isn't the student always supposed to beat their master at the end of training? Isn't it the official tradition?"

"Well, do you remember why I told you that you were no longer my student?" she asked, looking away sourly at a bitter memory. "Do you remember how you graduated? And don't you think that it's just as fitting?"

"Of course I remember," he replied, thinking back and sitting down next to her. His "graduation" as she put it, _was _from a fight, just not with Jaden. They were in the Edo countryside at the time and he had just finished a night's training when Jaden's foul, burly, and greedy mentor, Kuro, popped in to harass her. Kuro was a manipulative man who had tricked Jaden into becoming his wife and a vampire by telling her she would be an official samurai if she married him and followed him—because he was samurai-born—ages before Roden had even been born. And worse, the large man was still sore about her leaving him the minute her training was over. He liked to hunt her down and harass her from time to time—anything from mildly annoying harassment to outright sexual harassment—and worse, Jaden took it all because she was still somehow _terrified_ of him. Roden knew Kuro and his tactics well by then, and didn't like him at all. Kuro always seemed to make him act rudely and rashly, which was just another thing he could chide Jaden for. And seeing Jaden so shaky, so flushed and afraid as Kuro leaned over her that day, something had broken and he had challenged Kuro to a fight. After a smile and a cocky promise not to murder him, Kuro agreed and the battle ensued—and Roden won. Not very easily, he remembered, as he had passed out cold just after he was sure that the limping Kuro was definitely not going to return.

When he came to, Jaden had told him tenderly that he was no longer her student. He recalled first thinking that he'd done something terribly wrong, that she was abandoning him for misconduct, but realization did slowly dawn. The soft and proud smile hinted at it. Then he'd wept. Like a stupid child, he'd cried because he had to leave her. Even when he was in reality almost twenty-five, his body had looked like someone's who was not yet thirteen and suddenly that was how he was acting. Like a selfish preteen who couldn't take care of himself.

"It was stupid," he said automatically. "It doesn't count."

"I suppose I can see where you're coming from." she said, averting her eyes. "But I don't want to fight you. Not now. Now's a bad time, don't you think?"

"Shishou..."

"And you're perpetuating the whole thing by calling me _that," _she said unhappily. "If you give calling me by that up, I'm sure it'll be enough to make you feel better for the time being."

"What do you want me to call you?" he asked. "Last time I called you by name, I got scolded. And since you used to hit me when I didn't call you Shishou, it's a hard habit to break now. Just fight me."

She plucked a lily from a nearby plant and sighed, examining the pink-tinged petals quietly. "No," she whispered. "Now is a bad time. Let's do something fun before the week is out."

With much moaning and sighing on Roden's part, they ended up going to a hotpot restaurant to eat that night, going to see a kabuki play the next, and then going fishing on the Kamo River the next. Speculation on whether Kazunori Toshiro was dead or just missing was flying around the political world, but Jaden hardly seemed to notice the rumors around her with so many other things to do. Finally, that last Sunday night was spent helping Jaden gather her few personal items and plop them into a bag to take with her to Shinsengumi Headquarters. After the few days of spending time together, the idea had lost some of it's roughness for Roden, who reassured himself by repeating over and over in his mind that _Yamanami _was Jaden's new master, _not_ Hijikata. Yamanami was a clever opportunist, it seemed, and so worrying about_ her_ might be a waste of time when _he_ would be facing Itaru the next night. He wondered if he should get together some lesson plans, but then found himself wondering what exactly a lesson plan was. Just writing down what he planned to cover? And what _should_ he cover? Colors? Numbers? Body parts? Rai's body parts...

Jaden seemed to know he was having bad thoughts. "You know she won't be there, right? A geisha wouldn't be at her patron's home, it would be a scandal. Especially a virgin like her."

"Stop saying it so casually." He realized now that Jaden's job was probably much easier than his. Patrolling the city for rouge roshi sounded so much simpler than teaching English all of a sudden. And she was right; Rai_ wouldn't_ be there, though his hopes were that he might be able to convince Itaru to visit her together. "And maybe I just want to help poor Itaru accomplish his dream."

Jaden laughed shortly but said no more on the subject, instead continuing to pack spare shoes into her small sack. Her one and only kimono, the orange one, was lying out ready to be packed as well, and some hair trinkets and other feminine things. All of her men's clothes and casuals had already been pushed to the bottom of the bag. Roden returned to thinking over his _lesson plans_.

They both went to bed early the next morning and rose before sunset to get to their destinations on time. They hugged tightly before the departure and it was only half-awkward. Jaden told him that she would find him on her days off, if she had any, and Roden promised to at least pass by Shinsengumi Headquarters once every few weeks to catch up on her goings-on. Then they left each other, going in opposite directions.

--

When Roden turned into the district written neatly on the slip of paper from Itaru, he soon saw what the boy had meant by his house being easy to recognize. All of the homes were big—though there were only a few—but several pagoda-styled buildings down stood a towering Western-styled mansion that couldn't have belonged to anyone else. Somehow excited, he began walking faster down the road, passing the other buildings with barely any notice at all until he was at the large gateway before the giant mansion. Following Western ideas, it wasn't very wide, but several floors high, white, with lots of glass windows looking out over an explosion of flowers leading up the walk. The front gates were curly and metallic and went around the whole yard. Roden pushed them open—they were unlocked, strangely—and stepped inside, noting that the mini-Gardens leading to the front door was made up entirely of non-native flowers. There were stone steps leading to the door, which was also large and rounded, with small silver doorknobs and a silver knocker—which Roden didn't even have to use, as it turned out. As he took an awkward pause in front of the door, then slowly reached for the knocker, sounds of frantic footsteps came from inside. These were followed swiftly by Itaru swinging open the great doors with seemingly dangerous force. He was wearing a plain grey yukata, but after seeing him in a suit several times, it seemed strange.

"Roden!" he squealed, latching onto the taller man in an overly-enthusiastic hug. "Roden, I've been waiting, looking out the window all week, even though you said you wouldn't come for a week..."

"I'm glad you made it home safely," Roden replied grudgingly, not bothering to try and pry the boy off of him, and yet not returning the hug.

He released Roden. "Yes, well... Sara was making a big deal out of everything. She scared me, was all. It's not even that far to Gion from here."

"Uh...Sara's the kunoichi..."

"Oh, you look paler than usual. It's okay if you know, I think. I guess you've probably already figured out that I'm a loyalist."

"A Sonno Joi, you mean. Yes, I did noti—"

"No, no, no, no, no," he said quickly, pulling Roden inside by the arm and shaking a finger at him. "I most certainly am_ not_ Sonno Joi. And don't worry about taking your shoes off, since this is a Western-styled mansion."

"So you're _not _Choshu?" Roden asked, sorely confused. Jaden had said otherwise.

"Well...Choshu, maybe," Itaru said, continuing up a large staircase in the center of the room. To the left of it was a dining hall with a crystal chandelier and an oak table, and to the right was what Roden took to be the kitchen, hidden behind two swinging doors. "See, Shogunate dogs like—forgive me—Kazunori Toshiro like to lump loyalists, Sonno Joi, and the Choshu clan together so that the three terms have become synonymous. But they're completely different and in the end it's just a form of extreme propaganda to discourage the support of Kyoto's citizens. I'm a loyalist because I detest the corruption in the Bakufu and support the Emperor, and I'm Choshu because I agree with the Choshu clan's plans to overthrow the Shogunate. But the Sonno Joi want to get foreigners out of Japan by any means necessary, including extreme violence, while I believe we should be learning from them. I am_ not_ a Sonno Joi."

They had reached the top of the stairs, where Itaru stopped to take a breath. Roden had to admit that the quick lesson had been impressive—there were a lot of large words in it that he hadn't expected Itaru to know. Propaganda, synonymous, detest... He looked around now. There were paintings here at the top of the stairs, oil portraits of what Roden presumed to be the whole family. The only recognizable one was Itaru's father, looking moodily out at his visitors from the furthest left. The farthest on the right was of a pretty, smiling woman in a purple kimono, her black hair done up in a Western style and brown eyes bright.

"Is that your mother?" he asked Itaru, hoping to inspire light conversation.

Itaru looked up at the painting, blinking. "Yes," he said simply. Sensing that he didn't want to talk about it, Roden looked to the last painting, the one between the others. It was perplexing. There were two children in it with dark brown hair; a happy boy dressed in a navy blue yukata and haori, and a girl, unsmiling and obviously unhappy in a pink kimono, her long hair tied up with a pink ribbon to match. They were twins.

"My sister and I," Itaru told him after a few seconds of staring. He had only spared the picture an angry glance, but Roden could tell that he _did _want to talk about this one.

"You're twins."

"Yes. Of course,_ now_ we don't look quite so much alike. Her name is Imari, if you care, but you shouldn't. You won't be seeing her." His voice was suddenly harsh and scolding, cynical and spiteful to an extreme degree—It seemed almost like he had a two personalities now, and Roden gave him a look encouraging more of the story. "She's I guess what you'd call the _black sheep_ of the family. Always an unhappy, humorless brat who thought her life so unfair; who thought all of us stupid and unpatriotic. A few weeks ago she ran away. No one knows where where she went. She's probably dead by now."

"I'm so sorr—"

"Don't waste your pity, please. I quit being her brother a long time ago, and since then I've been waiting for the time when she would finally disappear and leave us in peace. Imari had always supported the Shogunate. It was annoying."

Before he could stop himself, Roden reached out for Itaru's ki and felt something else. He wasn't quite lying, but he wantedhis sister to be _alive_ at least. He didn't want to go looking for her, but he didn't really want her dead. Roden just barely stopped himself from saying, "You're lying, don't be so harsh," before remembering he and Jaden's own moments of what seemed to be absolute hatred and turned out to be simple mood swings.

"She always said that I should learn the sword, not politics and foreign languages. She was ever the traditionalist." They moved left, into a deep hallway carpeted in red, then came to a stop in front of the first door there, plain and a clean, flawless white. There were paintings on the walls here too, one between each door, but they were mostly landscapes and Roden paid them no mind as they slipped into the room together.

"This is my room," Itaru said, as if Roden couldn't figure it out on his own. There was a big Western bed pushed against the wall by a large window, next to it a bedside table stacked messily with books, a paper lantern on top--perhaps the only Japanese thing Roden had seen so far. There was also a bookshelf full of books near it, stacked every which way to maximize the amount it would fit, and on top of this, lots of trinkets. The floor was a light-colored, polished wood, but in the door was a small blue throw rug, matching the sheets and woven blanket on the bed. Hanging on the wall was a large world map, scribbled on with ink in places. A small desk was in the corner, holding paper, a brush and ink, and more trinkets.

Roden automatically went to the map. Germany, the Netherlands, England, and America were all circled, and each had small notes written wormily inside the country--written in not kanji, but the Western alphabet, though not in English. It looked like Dutch--very squiggly, very unsure Dutch. Some of the letters were backwards or missing dots or crosses. In Japan was list of things as well, but in neat kanji--not Itaru's work. He assumed it to be Imari's doing, as above the list there was a sentence reading "This is your home!"

"So you know some of the alphabet already?" he asked as Itaru plopped down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling.

He sat up and looked to the map. "Yes. And some Dutch." Roden smirked—he'd always confused German with Dutch, but seemed to have gotten it down—and Itaru paid no mind. "I've made historical notes in a few of the countries for practice, but Sara's busy all the time so it hardly helps."

"Is she the one who teaches you Dutch, then?"

"Yeah. Come sit down." A smile finally came through again as his mind seemed to wander away from his sister.

Roden sat on the bed as well without really thinking about it, surprised by the softness compared to a futon. It was something he had forgotten about since becoming a vampire, but suddenly and thoughtlessly took advantage of it, laying down on his back completely, putting his head on the soft pillows and his hands over his stomach. Itaru frowned and mimicked him, then suddenly turned on his side and moved closer to Roden, reaching out and gently grabbing at a lock of his black hair and smelling it.

"W-what are—"

Quick footsteps outside of the door, then the feminine Yukio Daisuke burst through the door without knocking. "Itaru! You _stupid child_, you've misplaced my mirror again! You—" He stopped suddenly and drank in the scene. Roden jolted upwards very quickly, but Itaru didn't understand and continued lying down, only turning his head to look at Daisuke. "Oh, Itaru-kun..." he went on slowly, blinking. "I didn't know we had company over."

To Roden's horror, Itaru shot up and hugged his neck. "Daisuke, Roden is teaching me English. Go away."

The man regained composure, rolling his eyes and putting a hand on his hip. He was wearing a plain white yukata now, something that didn't seem flamboyant enough for him. "Tell me where you put my mirror! It was expensive and I need to brush my hair before bed, you ditzy, dumb blonde! You're just like that foul kunoichi."

"You sound like a girl. Go whine somewhere else, girl." Itaru got off the bed and pushed Daisuke out of the room, closing the door and locking it tightly behind him. "Man," he sighed. "Daisuke is so annoying. Anyway, Roden, your hair!"

"What about it?"

Itaru grimaced and looked all around, avoiding Roden's eyes. "Um...well, your hair and your skin... The smell. It doesn't fit with someone as good-looking as you..." Roden realized Itaru was telling him that he needed a bath, and wondered if Jaden was facing the same annoyance. He doubted it—they were probably _all_ that dirty, the Shinsengumi.

"Should I take a bath?"

"No offense, but yes. At least before my father wakes up. Come on, I'll show you to the bath."

They left the room and quickly stalked down the hall quietly in case Daisuke was still lurking about, then continued down the staircase. They passed through the dining hall and turned into a nearby room decorated from the outside with Greek-looking pillars. Stepping in, Roden saw that the ceiling was made up of the staircase on the left side of the room, but on the right side it was just the next floor above them. The rising rectangular shapes of the stairs gave a strange yet somehow modern-aristocratic touch to the room, which was done in baby blue and soft pinks. The bath was just the classic-Japanese wooden tub, but larger than Roden had ever seen before, and placed on a raised part of the tiled floor, underneath which was the fireplace needed to warm the water. There were gleaming pipes sticking from the walls to let steam float outside and buckets were placed near a door presumably leading outside to fill and empty the tub. Fluffy towels were folded in great piles, each pile a different size, in alternating blue and pink, various flowery soaps stacked on tables near them.

"Ah, It's already full," Itaru said happily, sticking his hand in the bathwater. "Good. Sort of cold, though." He went out the door in back and returned with a few pieces of wood, then bent down to stick them into the firepit.

"Itaru, don't you have servants?" Roden asked curiously. It seemed like the huge house wouldn't be so clean without any extra help.

"Oh, yes. Two of them. Plus, Daiskue and Sara are _supposed _to earn their stay, though that doesn't happen often. But it would be cruel to wake them at this hour just to start the bath. I can do it."

Roden was again impressed. It seemed that Itaru wasn't as spoiled as he had initially thought. He even managed to light the fire and tend to it until there was steam rising in the air without any help. "There we go," he sighed happily, and turned as if to leave. Roden moved over to the tub and stuck his hand in the water—It was warmer than any water he could remember taking a bath in. Hot, even. And it was _nice_. Still clean, too, as if he had filled the tub from a stream himself. Daisuke's hair had definitely been wet when they had seen him earlier, meaning he had probably used the same water, but Roden tried not to dwell on it.

He turned to pick out a scent of soap, and found that Itaru was still in the room, completely naked, his yukata and tie thrown in a messy heap on the floor. "Should we use lavender or sweet pea soap?" he asked, turning his lanky, thin body to face Roden. There were sandal tan-lines on his feet but otherwise his color mostly matched, besides his face and hands being slightly darker. He seemed to still have a bit of baby fat around his hips and legs, but that was easy to see just by looking at his boyish face. Roden felt himself turn red and looked away.

"_Together_?" was the exasperated reply.

"We'd have to use more wood if we took separate baths. Waste not want not." He grabbed the sweet pea soap and got into the bath. "It's okay. Daisuke isn't going to burst in again, and there's no windows, so he can't spy on us."

"Why would he in the first place?" Roden asked without thinking, untying the obi to his black yukata and taking it off, trying to look as calm as Itaru as he sauntered into the tub. Itaru was giving him a strange look, and he frowned as he felt his stomach jump sickly. "No..."

Itaru nodded slowly, a slight smile on his face. "Ahaha. And he _likes _you. He asked me to let him know when you came so that he could be all nice and groomed. I guess I forgot when you came today..."

"Itaru, I'm not—"

"I know," he cut in, nodding again. "I never thought otherwise. I guess it was bad that we were in my bed together earlier, huh? Oh well. Just tell him you're into breasts and stuff. Or that you're into _me_..." It was a joke, but his smile soon faded. "No, don't do that; he'll murder me in my sleep..."

Roden laughed at that. A short "heh," but a laugh nonetheless. "So what? That's why you don't like Daisuke?"

"No way!" Itaru piped angrily, putting on an open-minded and diplomatic tone. "I've known plenty of really nice guys who—um—like guys! It really doesn't matter to me, because I've gotta be faithful to Rai anyway. I don't like Daisuke because he's vain and selfish and only works for us because we pay more than the Bakufu. He doesn't care about the country, he just cares about doing as little work as possible and reaping the rewards. _And_ he picks on my hair."

"Oh yeah," Roden said, blinking and not realizing that he was opening up to Itaru and his life stories, being more social than he had with anyone besides Jaden and Sakura. "I wanted to ask about that. Doesn't it draw attention to you?"

Itaru frowned slightly and cocked his head to the side. "It was actually a prank at first," he said, reaching up and grabbing at a lock of his fake blonde hair. "It was about a year ago—I was calling Sara a dumb blonde and things like that. She wasn't happy about it—I guess I may have gone too far, considering that she actually does have an _okay_ sense of humor. So then that night she slipped some herbs into my tea that knocked me out, then took some of the chemicals used for cleaning to my hair and soaked it. When I woke up, it was blonde... I was upset at first, but by time it was dark again, it had really grown on me. So I decided to stick with it and we soaked it again. Imari didn't like it at all. I remember she countered by dying her own hair a darker color."

A brief thought ran though Roden's mind, concerning how much Itaru _liked_ to mention his hated sister, but he didn't voice it, only said, "Oh. But it doesn't cause trouble?"

He rubbed the soap half-heartedly over his shoulders, thinking hard for a moment. "People don't like it—In fact, that may be the very reason I keep it up—but I haven't been attacked by exclusionists yet, so..."

"That's good."

"Yeah, it is." The two fell silent and Itaru passed Roden the soap.

"And your glasses?" he asked curiously after he felt clean enough. He dunked his head underwater quickly and when he came up, Itaru looked embarrassed.

"For fashion. Imari wears glasses as well, but she actually needs them. I remember when she first got them—they looked so stylish and modern on her. And since we're twins, I thought I would look good in them too. Unfortunately, as a blonde, I didn't look good in her square, black glasses and had to spend a lot of money on a pair that actually fit me better. The whole thing made me feel sort of vain, but I didn't want to back out halfway, so I got those things in the end." He motioned to his small, round glasses. "Since then they've grown on me more. They add character. Oh, but Roden, we've only been talking about me. I want to ask a question now."

"Okay..."

"Why did you come to Japan?" Itaru asked, smiling. Roden let out a small sigh of relief. "What? Did you think I was going to ask something embarrassing?"

"Well..." Thoughts of both his relationship with Rai and Kazunori Toshirou had popped into his head, but the actual question was far easier to answer than those. "I followed my master here. She's the one who taught me swordsmanship and Japanese traditions, since she's from here. We travelled for a bit, but she gets homesick very easily."

"A woman as a master?!" Itaru exclaimed loudly. Roden gave the kid credit for even letting him finish his sentence. "She must be really modern and open minded! I'd love to meet her..."

"Actually, you're wrong," Roden half-laughed. Itaru frowned. "You wouldn't get along with her at all. She's a conservative Shogun-supporter who thinks that she's special somehow and that all other women should just stay in their place. A hypocritical traditionalist."

"That's weird..."

"Yeah, it is. She is. Annoying, too."

"Pretty?"

He almost laughed. "No."

"I knew it. No Shogun-supporting women are."

A skeptical stare from Roden, but a smile, too. "Oh, have you looked? Gone around asking beautiful women what their political stand is?"

"It's just a general observation," he said, shaking his head. "We've got Sara and Rai on our side, after all."

"Oh, the kunoichi, huh? You really think she's pretty, or do you just think she's got bigger—" he motioned to his chest area, "—than anyone else?"

"Well..."

"_Boobs,_" Roden said clearly and eloquently, in English.

"What?"

"That's what you call those things in English."

Itaru turned serious for only a passing moment, so that he could get the pronunciation down. "Boobs," he said seriously and slowly.

Then he smiled widely—no, they _both_ smiled, at the very same time—and somehow, even though Roden's first and second impressions of Itaru had been bad, even though Itaru had told Roden that he smelled bad, and even though they were laughing over something that only a pair of ten-year-old boys would find funny, that was the moment that the two of them became best friends.

--

Jaden's first day on the job had gone nearly as smoothly, as Hijikata was buried in paperwork, completely occupied and nearly ready to fall asleep on the spot. He motioned to the closet she would be living in, but that was the only contact, and Yamanami took over soon after. He ordered her to make herself comfortable and get a good day's sleep in preparation of the next night's chores. This was something that Heisuke wouldn't allow, but that was the way she would have preferred it.

She had just finished arranging her clothes and belongings in the surprisingly large closet and went outside to see who was going on patrol when Heisuke violently glomped her. "Jaden-san! They didn't tell me until_ yesterday_ about you joining! Just yesterday! I didn't know for the whole week, and I thought you were staying away because you were angry or something!"

"Calm down, Heisuke. Didn't you hear any rumors?"

A frown. "I've been busy. But I'm so excited now! Besides, I have something to show you." He took off grinning and motioned distractedly for Jaden to follow him, and the two moved quickly and silently to the door of a large room where the entire Eighth Unit slept. Loud snores came from inside.

"I'm really lucky to be Captain of the Eighth Squad," Heisuke said mysteriously, putting his hands on the shoji. "Or rather, I'm lucky this one got put in the Eighth Squad. Look." He slid open the door a crack, slowly and quietly, and then stuck his lantern in.

"What am I looking for?" Jaden whispered, stumped by the seemingly normal group of sleeping warriors. Heisuke motioned to one in particular, grinning. She looked carefully where he was pointing, and realized that all he was excited about was that new recruit with the glasses that she had seen trip over himself several weeks before while she had been arguing with Toshizou.

"Isn't he cute?!"

"Heisuke, you're turning into a pervert."

"Hey, I didn't say anything bad," he argued in a hushed tone. "Just listen to his soft breaths, look at his long eyelashes! And he's clumsy, too. It's just too cute!"

Jaden rolled her eyes, wondering how he could possibly hear 'soft sleeping breaths' with all the snoring going on and when clumsiness had become a desirable trait, but consented all the same. "Actually, I saw him walking around a few weeks ago, and I said the same thing to Hijikata. He looks like a miserable little thing, though."

"Yeah, I've tried cheering him up, but... Don't give me that look! What do you think I did? No, don't even say it. You're a terrible person, Jaden-san. Anyway, he's just perpetually melancholy. It's a little sad, but it just makes him cuter."

"That's all you wanted to show me?" she asked incredulously. "We could have been looking at the stars or something, but you wanted to look at boys sleeping."

"Oh, you're so old. But Hijikata-san didn't ask you to do anything tonight?"

Jaden grinned and shut the shoji to the room silently. "He looked beat. You know, fighting the paperwork war and all. Just totally ready to die."

"You don't have to sound so happy about it. Anyway, what should we do now?"

She gave him a suspicious look as they walked around the engawa to the other side of Headquarters. "Don't you have to patrol early tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yeah, but—"

"Then you should get some sleep."

"But the First Squad is always the one who patrols at night," he said seriously, grabbing onto the sleeve of her tattered blue yukata. "If I don't stay up, you'll become best friends with them instead."

"You are an idiot, Hei-kun. And if you fall asleep during patrol, you-know-who will literally rip your head off."

He looked mortified at the thought, but kept arguing. "An hour or two won't hurt."

"What is it that you want to do that just can't wait, Heisuke?" Jaden asked, smiling slightly at the enthusiasm. Roden had always lacked the motivation to do much with her, so it was sort of exciting.

"Let's go back, wake up that boy, and have some fun with him. And I don't mean anything sexual by that, honest."

She could almost see pink hearts floating off of him. "You jerk, I thought you wanted to hang out with me. And anyway, do you even know this kid's name?"

"Um...It started with... I don't know."

"That makes_ you_ the terrible person."

"Quiet, you!" He leaned over her in an attempt to be menacing, and she managed to hold a straight face and humor him for a few seconds. "Now that you're officially a member, I'm your senior, you know."

They both started laughing after that. "See, Hei-kun, that's why I love you, and not the First Unit. Let's wake up Harada and Nagakura and play hide and seek." And they did.

--

A/N- Sorry. I know I said that Sara and Ama-chan and Roden meeting Yamanami would be in this chapter, but the description of Itaru's house took up a lot of space, so that stuff didn't fit. On the bathroom, I'm not sure that everything I did with it is possible for the time period, but…it's okay right? And I think I failed to mention how the mansion was lit… Let's assume gas lamps and paper lanterns all over the place, ne? Also, does Itaru remind you of a certain other blonde at times? Meaning Tamaki Suoh from Ouran High School Host Club? There were moments when they seemed a lot alike to me… Just a thought. I am a Tamaki fan, though, so I don't mean anything bad by it. By the way, what did everyone think of Itaru?

Next Chapter: Okay, _this _time there's Sara, Ama-chan and Yamanami-san. And while doing her nightly chores, Jaden finds the boy from the Eighth Unit trying to escape by moonlight. His true identity may shock you…or you may have figured it out by now…


	14. Beethoven and Real Samurai

The next night was not nearly as enjoyable

The next night was not nearly as enjoyable as the first. Jaden was awoken before sunset by Hijikata, who thrust a list of things to do into her face as the sun shone annoyingly through the window of his room.

"Here," he snarled, waggling the paper around until she grudgingly and sleepily grabbed hold of it. "You got off easy last night, but starting now you're gonna be working your ass off. Shadow the First Unit on patrol when they leave, then start on that list."

"I don't have a uniform," she reminded him testily, sitting up in the large closet and rubbing at her eyes. "And they won't be leaving for a while."

"The extra time is so that you can be fitted for a uniform," he sighed, as if this were very obvious. He stalked away from her, opening the shoji and leaning in the doorway. "And until you get it, just shadow them. Make sure you look like a man, as well."

"I've done it before, so don't worry," Jaden scowled, squinting though the orange glow of the sunset. "And do you mind closing the door? The sun is fucking annoying. I'm turning red."

Hijikata didn't reply, but also made no move to close the shoji. Jaden scowled, pulled her closet door shut, and started changing in the darkness, pulling on a pair of crisp white hakama over an ugly brown gi and sliding her new sword halfway into her belt. As she touched at it, she felt a little sick. For a gift from a man she hated, she sure had jumped at it pretty quickly. She was starting to feel the way she should have felt that night Tetsu presented the sword to her, only a little too late.

She opened the closet and jumped out, landing nimbly on the small desk-table in the center of the room, making a mess of the paperwork and ink that had once been stacked neatly there. In fact, she stepped in the ink, which cheered her up immensely.

Hijikata turned and saw her, giving her a fuming look as he noticed her feet. He shook his head warningly, but her grin only widened. "Do it, Takoda, and I'll chop your pretty hair off," he warned, moving his hand to his katana and stepping closer.

"W-what the hell?"

"It won't go up in a normal topknot at that length," he said, eyeing her locks with a hungry gleam in his blue eyes. "We're going to have to cut it off at some point, but right now the question is..." A smirk. "Do you want one of the ladies from the kitchen to delicately trim your locks, or do you want me to saw it off with a rusty sword?"

"I can't help but wonder if you could catch me."

He moved back to the center of the doorway, watching her movements carefully and crushing most of her hopes of getting away. She stared back angrily, crouched down low as if still thinking about attempting it. Luckily for the pair, Yamanami was walking past, and poked his head in the door with interest.

"Please don't," he said tiredly when he saw Jaden. "Just don't."

At his request, Jaden frowned grudgingly and wiped her feet with the sleeve of her gi, stepping down from the desk sulkily and heading for the doorway. When she passed Hijikata, she grasped her long ponytail tightly and faced towards him so there was no way he could quickly lob it off anyway. "Sannan-san," she implored. "Does it really have to be cut?"

"I'm sorry, Jaden-san."

"But it's only been cut once before in my entire life. And it was Roden's doing...damn him."

"It's too long. End of story."

"Bastard."

"Come on now, you guys."

Looks all around. Yamanami was giving Jaden a stern look, Jaden was giving Hijikata a triumphant look, and Hijikata was alternating glaring at both of them.

"Well then!" A smile from Yamanami, but no one else. "I'm glad we decided to wait until tomorrow for that."

"What?" An incredulous look from the other two, who glared at each other again once registering that they had spoken in unison.

"Jaden-san, you've got your list of chores?"

She nodded grudgingly and pulled out the list. "Shadowing the First Unit, and then...dishes, laundry, cleaning the dojo, cleaning the...outhouse...dispose of Toshizou's love letters..." she read off, her disgust getting thicker in her voice with every chore. "I still can't understand why any woman would write a love letter to you, Toshizou. My darling Hoshijiro, on the other hand--"

Hijikata pointed outside impatiently, cutting her off. "Just go get fitted for your uniform. I don't want to listen to your irritating voice tonight."

She sighed overdramatically but didn't keep the argument going, grudgingly letting him win that round. Yamanami motioned for her to follow him, looking relieved, and the two of them wandered wordlessly to the kitchens. There, a small woman measured Jaden quickly, then moved onto other things, pushing her out the door with a small plate of rice when they were done.

"They're in a hurry to clean up and get to bed," Yamanami explained apologetically when Jaden realized that she hadn't been given any chopsticks. "They've got to get up early to make everyone breakfast."

"Yeah, I get it. I'll eat with my hands."

"You sound so understanding..." he said sarcastically, pushing his glasses up and sighing. "And I wish you could go two minutes without getting into a verbal sparring match with Toshizou-kun."

"He instigates."

"You instigate as well."

To his surprise, she laughed and started walking away. He followed closely after her, as if afraid of the troubles she would get into if left to her own devices. "What?" he asked worriedly.

"You're such a good guy, Sannan-san," she replied, stressing the words and still smiling. "Sometimes it's funny. Now, where am I going? Oh, I guess I should put my hair up." She started walking away again.

"And the other times?"

"What?" She stopped again, but didn't face him, instead pulling at her hair and throwing it into a sloppy ponytail.

"You said, 'sometimes it's funny.' What about the other times?"

Jaden lied and threw on a fake smile, saying, "Oh, I don't know. It's just funny all the time, I mean." It just sounded so much better than, "The other times, it worries me."

A forced smile from him as well. "Okay, then. Well, it sounds like the first unit is getting ready to go, so go tell Souji what you're going to be up to."

She nodded and began shoveling rice into her mouth, waving goodbye to him as she followed the sounds out to the courtyard by the front gates.

--

Roden had spent the daytime hours at the Outa's house after all, finding that when he went to leave the night before that the sun was already up in the sky. Itaru set Roden up in a room directly across from his own that was nearly identical, but without the trinkets and the other personal touches. It was clearly a guest room, but not old or dusty enough to have been there forever. Everything in it was new, still unused. He had a sneaking suspicion that it had once been Imari's room, but had been ripped apart and redone shortly after she'd run away. Half of him wanted to ask, but he was smarter and more polite than that, and didn't say anything as Itaru backed out of the room. He could hardly believe that the kid had stayed up with him all night long, and was now going to sleep while the sun was out, but didn't dwell on it. The bed was so luxuriously comfortable that he fell asleep quickly and worry-free.

The following night, he woke to Beethoven, being played by piano somewhere in the mansion. He sat up in the bed and looked around stupidly for the source of the sound, not realizing until a few long seconds later that it wasn't near—It was his vampire senses at work. Probably a floor up, to the right somewhere. Listening closely, it was perfectly executed, every note down, though he couldn't remember the name of the song. Wondering curiously whether Itaru played piano on top of his political expertise, Roden stood up and followed the sound to the third floor, still in the clothes from the night before. The amethyst and ruby sunset outside gave the halls a deep and eerie glow at every window, but were otherwise still dark.

He found the room with ease, but lingered outside the doors until the song was finished. They were white and ornate, roses carved into the wood at the corners, and the unfamiliar calm ki coming from inside the room was certainly not Itaru's or Daisuke's. The song started again and he pushed the doors open.

The blonde kunoichi—Sara—was sitting at an ornate and rose-lined grand piano, music in front of her, long blonde hair back in a braid. There was a large canopy bed in a corner of the surprisingly small room, covered in magenta and pink, and a glass full of lilies on the bedside table. Other than that, there was only a dark oak dresser and a chest, opened. She stopped playing and turned to see who had come in the door, giving Roden a reproachful look, then turning back to her music.

"I heard you were coming, boy. I hoped to avoid you."

"What's your problem?" He couldn't stop himself from asking. Itaru was nowhere near, so being polite seemed like a stupid thing to do.

She turned around to face him again, and for the first time, he noticed her outfit. It was an ornate Western dress that looked like it was straight from Gothic-era London—a revealing black corset top with lacy sleeves and a billowing, long skirt. "Why are you even up here? Itaru was making breakfast downstairs, so—"

"I thought you were Dutch," he said, pointing to the dress. "So what is that?"

"I'm a fashion-lover, for your information," she told him bitterly, crossing her arms and pushing her stool away from the piano. "I appreciate all stylish things, no matter where they're from. And I'm only half-Dutch, stupid boy."

"How was I supposed to know that?"

She gave him a hard stare, moving her long bangs away from her right eye and examining quietly. Finally, she said. "Sara Mann. That's my full name. And you are...?"

"What's with the sudden politeness?" She continued staring, so he gave in. "Takoda Roden. What was the song you were playing?"

"Fur Elise. Beethoven. I'm a fan. You know, your master once said to me that Beethoven's music is unimpressive and boring, but I somehow I doubt that she's ever heard it." She had looked away from him, but now glanced back quickly and furtively, smiling now.

Roden knew that she was trying to start a fight, and pretended to be uninterested. "Maybe. Maybe not. I can't remember. I'm a fan, too, though I can't play."

Sara Mann frowned. "How old are the two of you?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm too old to be called 'boy,' at the very least. As for Jaden, well... That's a little rude to ask, don't you think?"

"I don't really care, boy," she replied infuriatingly, not quite smiling, but dangerously close. "Okay. You can guess my age, and if you're wrong, you tell me both your real ages."

"That's stupid."

"Oh come on. It'll be fun."

He looked her over. Perfect pale skin, bouncy curves...the only things hinting that she might be over twenty-five was the split ends and frizzy touch to her golden hair and the knowingly tired look in her brown eyes. "Twenty-seven," he guessed, watching her face carefully.

The widening of her smile told him that he was wrong before she could. "Twenty-nine," she said happily. "Now tell me your age."

"Ninety-eight."

Her face grew confused, then dark. She turned flippantly away from him and scooped up her sheet music. "Liar," she accused, standing up and taking the music to the chest near the dresser. "You should go change before breakfast. The inhabitants here won't appreciate that you're wearing the same thing you wore yesterday."

"I don't have any other clothes with me. And what, were you spying on me?"

"I'm a kunoichi, as you know," she said, pulling her hair out of its braid. "Spying and stabbing are what I do best, so consider yourself lucky it was the former I was doing."

He frowned and slunk out of the room, finding the staircase and silently sweeping downstairs, where smells of various fruits mixed together sweetly. Reaching the kitchen, he pushed open the doors and found Itaru running between slicing strawberries and cooking something that looked like an attempt at pancakes, but far too thin. The stove was Japanese styled, and he had to bend down to blow on the fire and keep it going, while a the pancake-things sizzled away on a thin Western pan hanging over it. It seemed crude but effective.

"Morning, Roden." He was wearing a creme-colored dress shirt and slacks this time, and frowned when he saw Roden. "Oh, you don't have clothes, do you?"

"Does it matter? I can run back to the Gardens later tonight and pack some stuff up."

"Oh, sure. But we'll be dining with Sara before she goes to work tonight, and she'll probably comment on—"

"I already met her this morning. And she said 'the inhabitants of this house won't appreciate' that I haven't changed. Or something like that."

"By 'the inhabitants of this house,' she means herself," he said apologetically, slicing the already tiny strawberries into even smaller pieces. "She's a person who changes her clothes at least twice a night due to her job, so..."

"Ah, Itaru, do you want me to help?"

"They're almost done. Don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry I kept you awake last night and you had to sleep during the day," Roden said. "I guess people like you probably like to be out in the sun."

He realized too late that he had implied there was something different about him, and Itaru gave him a curious but unworried look. Then he looked back at the pancakes, distracted, and pulled the pan away from the fire. "No, don't worry. Business meetings are usually at night as it is, and that's when I can see Rai, and also when Sara is up... Sara can't be trusted to cook for herself, you see. And I already normally sleep late into the day and stay up late at night, so don't worry about it. I can sleep more when you go to get your clothes and catch some sun tomorrow." He put the pancakes on plates laid out on a counter, looking defeated. "These are so thin..."

"Why not just make crepes?" At Itaru's confused expression, he sighed and started putting the strawberry slices on top of the cakes, then rolled them up. "See? It's a French thing."

"Oh, cool."

"There's only three of us eating?"

"Just you, me, and Sara. Everyone else is normal."

"I see," he said, grabbing all three plates and balancing them on his arms. "Is Sara Mann always so..." He stopped, unable to think of a single word that would describe the woman, and also sensing her ki spike from somewhere outside the kitchen. He pushed the doors open with his feet, still carefully balancing their breakfast.

She was waiting at the dining table, which was long and had eight ornate wooden chairs in total, with a lacy, flowery, perfectly white tablecloth shielding the wood. Two slim and shapeless glass vases with pink roses in them sat on either side of the table, while Western silverware was set all around. "Where's Itaru?" she asked him suspiciously, watching him carefully though her narrowed brown eyes. She was wearing her black cut-off kimono—her set ninja outfit, he presumed. It certainly showed enough of her pale skin to be both distracting to her opponents and to allow easy movement. Her hair was high up on top of her head now, though her bangs still hung limply over the right side of her face, and her fingernails were painted black.

"Why, you think I did something to him?" Roden replied, setting a plate in front of her, then placing his own and Itaru's as far away from her as possible.

"Knowing that you're attached to Kazunori Toshiro slash Takoda Jaden, yes," she replied bluntly, still eyeing him.

"If you dislike her so much, then why didn't you reveal her true identity to those businessmen?"

She inhaled angrily and straightened up in her chair as if preparing to yell, but only turned her nose up at him and looked away, crossing her arms. "Because she knows something about me, as well. Something bad. And she wouldn't hesitate to tell the whole world."

"So at this point, what's holding her back?"

"It's morally fucked up."

"Would you believe that she said the exact same thing to me?" he asked, sitting down at the other end of the table.

"Because that's the only way to describe it," she explained, glancing at him again. "And where _is Itaru_?"

At that moment, Itaru came out of the kitchen doors carrying three glasses of tea. "I'm coming, coming... Sara, you're so impatient."

"No, I was worried, is all," Sara explained, tearing her eyes from Roden and looking at Itaru. She stood up daintily and swooped over to fetch her own drink. "How can you have this Shogun-supporter in my house, my darling?" she asked as she sat back down, returning to a half-caring pose, legs crossed.

"I'm not a Shogun-supporter."

"It's hardly your house, Sara."

She rolled her eyes at both of them and picked up a fork, stabbing at her crepe a few times, then turning to her tea instead. Itaru sat down next to Roden, watching her from across the length of the oak table. "What are you doing tonight, Sara?" he asked after a few moments of silence, smiling a smile that was less diplomatic and more we're-good-friends-friendly than his usual smile.

She examined Roden before answering, but eventually sighed at his uninterested expression. "I don't know. Just running around the city, listening to people's conversations. I'm not going to Shimabara tonight, though. It's gonna be slow."

"You go around Shimabara listening in on lovers?" Roden asked skeptically, putting his elbows on the table and giving her a look that was meant to say "This is polite conversation. Let's get along." She stared blankly back at him. "I mean," he went on, "what do people talk about there, honestly?"

"I don't listen in, I'm a part of it," she replied, eyebrows raised as if she couldn't believe how dense he was. "I work in Shimabara."

Itaru flinched and tried to make him stop there. Roden saw the desperate look, but didn't think much of it then. "Oh... I'm sorry," he replied, hoping to end the conversation politely there. Sara crushed this hope.

"What are you sorry for? It's my choice, and plenty of information comes from there, too. Actually, it makes my job much easier."

"So who do you gather information for?" She was a prostitute/kunoichi/fashion-lover/musician. All right, then.

"The Choshu Clan, you idiot," she replied, resting her head in her hand and sighing at him, pushing the last bit of her crepe between her lips. "This is just lodging."

"Well that's what I was asking," he snapped back, glaring at the kunoichi intensely. She seemed determined to make talking to him an unpleasant affair, and Itaru wasn't breaking in to help, either. Suddenly she smiled wickedly, stood up, and walked out of the room.

--

Patrol with the First Unit had been surprisingly uneventful. Jaden had come across two suspicious-looking black cats, but no evil Choshu shinobi or samurai out for blood, or even any townsfolk. It was cold for a summer night, and by time they got back, she was in no mood to clean anything, but took to the dojo—and the rest of the chores on the hell-list for the eternally damned—solely for the sake of Yamanami. If she didn't do them, he would receive more abuse than she would.

She finished cleaning the outhouse in the early morning, past midnight but hours before the Second Unit would be up for their patrol, and decided to forgo getting rid of Hijikata's love letters, instead sticking a note on top of them that read, "Don't be an asshole. You should reply to your fans." With everything done and everyone asleep, she didn't have much to do, and ended up sitting boredly in a willow tree near the entrance of Headquarters, biting at her fingernails with determination. It looked as if joining the Shinsengumi wasn't as exciting as she had planned.

Then, soft footsteps on the ground below, mixed with quiet sobs. Jaden squinted through the darkness, soft light of the moon aiding her, to see the boy from the Eighth Unit—Heisuke's crush—stumbling for the closed front gates, clothes and sword clutched against his chest. He was crying, and wiped at his eyes angrily when he reached the gates, setting his things down to push on them.

Jaden realized he was a deserter, and smiled cruelly to herself, hopping silently from the tree. It would make Heisuke sad to hear, but at least she would get some excitement—desertion was punishable by seppuku, after all. It was in Hijikata's beloved Strictures, so there was no way he could reprimand her for it. The boy hadn't noticed her sneaking up behind him, and she now spoke softly into his ear as he struggled with the heavy wooden doors of the gate. "Moonlit walks are so dangerous these days," she hissed, and the poor child froze, caught. He turned around to look at her, his face fearful and tear-streaked, and she almost lost her resolve at that truly adorable face. Recovering her train of thought as quickly as possible, she went on. "So I'm going to assume that's not what you're doing. This'll be quicker than seppuku, I promise."

He turned around fully now, leaving his things on the ground and facing her, shaking slightly. "I-I'm sorry," he said, starting to back up. His back hit the gate, and he yelped. Jaden was drawn in by the innocence and pure fright, suddenly interested, and stopped to drink him in. His square glasses were sliding down his nose, in no way helping his blue-gray eyes, and his deep chocolate-black colored hair fell wildly over his face, as if he'd just been sleeping. His almost childish face had soft pink lips and thick eyelashes, while his shoulders were slim and feminine.

"Please don't beg for your life," Jaden sighed, not wanting to make it too difficult for either of them.

"I-I'm not!" he snapped suddenly, surprising her with a feminine voice. "I just...am sorry. I tried so hard, really, but... Please. Just get it over with. I want to die."

"Enough." Jaden drew her new sword, feeling a little guilty that this cute and frightened creature would be its first kill. As she rose it to strike quickly, however, she caught the distracting smell of blood and stopped, looking the boy over again. "Are you bleeding?"

He snapped to attention nervously and turned a violently bright shade of red, moving his hands shyly up to cover his face. The motion, plus a drop of blood running down his leg and Jaden's strong sense of smell pinpointing the source of the blood, made her suddenly see what was truly going on.

"Don't tell me you're...you're a girl!" she snapped, letting her sword clatter to the ground. The boy—no, girl—nodded solemnly. "And it's...it's that time of the month?" Another quiet, embarrassed nod.

"I came here to become a great samurai, but... It was just so hard," she explained, wiping at her gray eyes again. "And this place... these people... And I didn't even think about _this_... I want to die, so please...!"

Strangely enough, thoughts of killing and upholding Hijikata's Strictures flushed out of Jaden's body at the request. "What's your name, girl?" she asked, making no move to pick up her katana.

"Ah..." She straightened up and pushed her glasses back up her nose, as if wanting to be polite and make a good impression despite what had just happened between them. "That is... My name is Outa Imari."

Jaden blinked, and suddenly noticed her extreme likeness to Outa Itaru, save for the hair color and style of glasses. "Wait, you're not that Outa Itaru boy's..._sister_, are you?"

"His twin sister, actually," Imari replied, looking down at the ground dejectedly. "But...I ran away from home because I disagreed with his and my father's political views, thinking I could become a good and proper samurai here. But I failed... I'm a loser. I can't go home. So please! Kill me here!" She was down on her knees.

"Hold on." Jaden thought hard. "So, you ran away from home, stayed here for about a month...and you're going to run away from here _now?_ Why? If you've fooled everyone this long, then why..."

"I totally forgot about my period," she said miserably, hanging her head. "There's no way I can get away with it now. It's not like I can just stay in my room for four days straight. I mean, I don't even_ have_ my own room."

"Hmmm." Jaden squatted down by the girl and tipped her chin upwards, looking at her face again. "You're an Outa, so I can see how you might have a spoiled rich-girl mentality, but I appreciate you coming here and trying to fix that." She was still examining Imari, feeling her soft face and looking into her grey eyes, captivated. "You must be very brave at heart, so I'm going to help you."

"Ah..." Imari now looked back at her, confused. "I'm sorry...are you a man or a woman? I-I mean, you look like a woman, I guess, but you've got a katana and—"

"I'm a special woman," Jaden said, picking up her sword. "And I don't mean a transvestite, either. I'm only here because I can best Souji in a match, but I'm supposed to be a secret."

"Okita-sensei?!"

"Shhh." She put a finger to Imari's soft pink lips. "I'm not lying. Don't ask me about it though, or I'll have to let Hijikata-san know about your attempted desertion tonight, ne?" Imari flinched at the name, and Jaden rolled her eyes. Inspiring both love letters _and _fear. He was unbearable even when he wasn't around. "And anyway, you can't die. I know someone besides me who thinks you're very cute, so I'm going to help you stay alive."

"How?" she hissed back. "I don't think you get how bad this is..."

"Don't underestimate _me_." She stood up, hoping to look dramatic, and smiled widely, sticking a hand out to help Imari up. "_I'm _Takoda Jaden."

"Takoda Jaden," she repeated, taking the hand and standing up. "You're really going to help me?"

Jaden nodded. "You were brave and ambitious enough to run from your stress-free life of wealth for the sake of your ideals. It's respectable, and someone as cute as you definitely deserve another chance at this samurai thing, right? Don't let your hormones ruin it again."

"Cute...?" Her tone was disbelieving, shocked. She was growing red. "I've never heard that before. I mean...I'm kind of boyish and...flat as it is, so..."

"No way! My Hei-kun thinks you're absolutely adorable. And that short haircut makes your disguise more convincing. No girl would cut her hair that short."

"You don't mean Todo-sensei, do you? He knows I'm a girl?!"

She winked at Imari. "Heisuke is a lover of all adorable things, whether it's a woman, or a small animal, _or _a man. And he still thinks you're a man. Though, I'm wondering if we should tell him... I don't know... He has something of a big mouth, but it could also be helpful. I'll feel bad for lying to him..." Throughout the monologue, Imari was staring blankly down at Jaden, waiting patiently. She was tall, maybe even an few centimeters taller than her twin brother, and thin and ragged from the past month of patrolling, training, and not eating as much as she did at home. She snapped to attention, still shaking slightly, when Jaden addressed her again. "Okay, so let's get you cleaned up and back to bed before the Second Unit wakes up."

"R-right."

Jaden smiled at having spared a life and having found a replacement-Roden, still wondering if she should alert Heisuke to the news. She gently put her arms around Imari's neck and hung, directing the girl to the engawa near Yamanami's room. They needed cloth and someone who would cooperate without questions.

After getting large amounts of white cloth composed mostly of Yamanami's spare sheets, the pair sat quietly in the back of headquarters, a bright white lantern illuminating their work. Imari kept her eyes averted from Jaden, flushed at being half-naked before the other woman. Then, a thought. "How do you know my brother?" she asked quietly, looking somewhere else and pretending to be distracted. Jaden saw through it immediately and smiled to herself.

"Your brother... I've argued with him a few times—while disguised, of course. And now he seems to have employed my former student as...I don't know. A bodyguard, or something. Idiot. Roden, I mean. Well, Outa's an idiot, too." Imari made a small sound that could have been agreeing or disagreeing with Jaden, but didn't say any more about her brother. Jaden sighed, curious, and continued as she stuffed cloth into places and knotted things expertly. "Does your brother know you came here?" she asked.

"No. It doesn't matter. He _hates _me." Her eyes and face were still red, and she now bit her lip to staunch a fresh flow of tears.

Though she knew how terrible it was, Jaden felt warmed that there could be a family that was equally as dysfunctional as all of the families she'd had all her life. She smiled. "Imari-chan, don't worry. We'll take care of you here."

"But...but..." Imari seemed frightened, but desperate to say something she'd been holding in. "This isn't a place to learn how to become a samurai... Everyone here is... They're animals!"

Jaden was caught a little off-guard, and found herself laughing rather than getting angry. "What did you expect, dear?" she asked skeptically, tittering behind her hand. "Tall, sophisticated, and valiant samurai? Trust me, kiddo, this is the best place to learn bushido."

"But—"

"Trust me. Even if they seem a little wild and undignified, they're more samurai than your brother, or any of those tight-ass rich-boys who've never mastered swordsmanship. There's a lot of different styles here, like..." she paused, then began naming off people, watching Imari grow more and more worried. "Well, Sannan-san and Hei-kun are both Hokushin Itto Ryuu students, and most of the others are from Kondo-san's Tennen Rishin Ryuu... Hijikata has his hiratsuki, and with all the customizing he's done, we may as well just say he practices 'Hijikata Toshizou Ryuu.' So you'll learn quickly. All finished."

"Ah...the hiratsuki," Imari said shakily, perking up slightly as she pulled her hakama back on. "I heard that it's a thrust guaranteed to kill in one strike..." It seemed like she was trying to make light conversation, as she smiled, still red from her former nakedness. "Um..."

Jaden didn't reply, as she didn't know what exactly Imari wanted to hear. Yes, Hijikata was a tactical genius, and the technique did just fine with killing. Yes, she had secretly tried it. No, she hadn't put it to use yet. Being up against humans, it was totally unnecessary. A quick slash did the job well. Had she ever considered killing Imari's brother... Well, her own thoughts were getting out of hand now. She stared at the full moon. "Hokushin Itto Ryuu is one of the best sword schools in the country. So you'd best cling to everything Yamanami-san and Heisuke tell you, okay?"

"Jaden-san, do you dislike Hijikata-san?" Imari asked, frowning. "And, the hiratsuki—"

Jaden cut her off with a glare. Its meaning was obvious. "Promise me you'll trust Heisuke and Sannan-san over that arrogant asshole. Just promise me. They're two people guaranteed to not use you. And as your new mentor, I'd hate to see you used."

"Mentor..."

"Yeah. I'll help you fit in, and things. Hey, promise me. Don't change the subject."

Imari bit her bottom lip again, but stood up, stretched, and finally looked Jaden in the eye. Firmly, she said, "Okay. I promise, but... what about you? Shouldn't I have to promise to trust you as well? If you're going to look after me—"

"No." Things were getting too dark too fast, and Imari didn't realize it, and suddenly all Jaden could think was how hungry she was. Jaden looked away to lower the temptation, but shot the girl a chilling sideways glance that made her suddenly flinch, green eyes narrowed to slits, mouth open with canine teeth poking out. "You _shouldn't _trust me. _I_ am a monster whose soul belongs to another monster, and I_ can't_ be trusted. I'll do the best I can with you, but I'm not one to keep promises, so I've given up on making them in the first place."

Imari quickly sat back down, and Jaden suspected that her knees would have given out if she hadn't. "But why sh-should I—" She was tearing up again, and a pang of guilt came roughly to the vampire, who stopped her snarl.

"Okay, darling," she consented, taking Imari's hand and looking sternly at her. "A compromise. Trust me. I might hurt you anyway. But you have my full permission to hurt me back, and to stop following me. Just listen to Sannan-san and Heisuke-kun."

She nodded. "I will. I promise."

777777777

"Itaru's sister..." Toklata said quietly. "I get it now, but…"

"But that _his _sister joined the Shinsengumi is…a little strange," Ishin finished for her, brushing hair from his face. They were in another city, another mediocre hotel room. "Even if she disagreed with him. And anyway, could it be possible that Imari could be working with Itaru right now, helping him get revenge?"

"Imari is dead," Ronin said matter-of-factly, eyes closed as he lay tiredly on the patterned blue bedding. He continued to seem beaten and perpetually tired.

"How can you be sure?" Ishin pursued without even looking at Ronin. He too looked haggard and worn from the constant travelling, and spoke without his normal accusing conviction. "You thought that Itaru was dead, and he just popped out of nowhere, so…"

"She's _dead_," Sakura confirmed firmly, her words certain and emotionless. "Trust us on this one."

No one said anything after that, everyone looking away. New clothes, a warm bed, and hot food did little to nothing for anyone's morale when they were continuously tramping along with no destination. They weren't allowed to meet new people or even interact with anyone. Even going out to eat was a risk. Sakura's face was now completely healed and only a few light scars served as reminders of Itaru's cruelty, though it was hard to bear in mind when the Itaru of the story was so happy and bright and seemingly carefree.

"It's really sad," Toklata put in finally. "That Imari thought that Itaru hated her, and Itaru was only pretending… It's sad."

"It is," Ronin agreed. "They were a really messed up family, but that's still not the problem.

"Sara Mann seems a little eccentric," Ishin added. "Is _that_ the problem?"

"Not exactly. Sort of. It doesn't matter anyway."

A sigh. "Well, it's not looking good either way. Here and now, or back then. We're just running around crazily since we left the mountain. I feel like a criminal."

There was a knock at the door that made Toklata jump and everyone else exchange unsure glances. A cheery call of "Room service!" made them relax slightly, and Ronin stood up to get the door. A short woman in a red hotel uniform smiled brightly at them from outside of the threshold, holding up a tray with the dinner that they had ordered only hours earlier, and had apparently forgotten about. He thanked the woman with a dazzling smile, and she seemed suddenly to be in a hurry to get away before she swooned so hard that she fell flat on her face. Pink and flustered, she handed off the tray and quickly added, "Also, sir, a letter came for you." She pulled a pink envelope from the breast pocket of her vest and offered it pertly to Ronin . "I hope you enjoy the food," she said , smiling shyly before retreating away from the room.

Ronin held the envelope upside down, terrified, and shut the door slowly. Sakura stood up and took the tray of food from him, setting it down coolly on one of the bedside tables of the yellow room and watching him carefully. Everyone waited anxiously, tense and silent. He flipped the letter over and frowned tightly, suspicions instantly confirmed at the terrible handwriting that he recognized as Itaru's imperfect script. He opened the envelope anxiously and quickly read, holding the note away from everyone else's prying and worried eyes.

_Roden-kun, _it began pleasantly. It went terribly downhill from there.

--

A/N-Oh goodness. Yes, school has started and it sucks. I don't have a huge amount of spare time but mostly I've just been tweaking this chapter for a while. Like, _a while_. However, I do have a teacher this year that must be the reincarnation of Yamanami, so that might give me some inspiration. Well, that also might be a stretch… In any case, it's up now. Please read and review. I'd love some feedback on Imari and Sara, as they're my favorite female characters.


	15. Vampires and Mortals and The Indespensab

Chapter Fifteen: Vampires and Mortals and the Indispensable Nobody

_Roden-kun,_

_It would seem that I just missed you and your troop of loyal dogs at the last town. I'm hoping that this gets to you before you move on again. You sure do move fast, and you sure do cover your tracks well. I'm just writing to let you know that I still hate you. And your friends. Blatant harassment is so much fun, Roden-kun. Are you afraid? Terrified? Keep them close, Roden. And think, what will you do once they're dead? Despair? Regret? Or just move on like you did before? I have to wonder if this effort is futile, if you even care for these people at all, but I may as well go ahead and try. I'm hoping some irony will come in to play, as well. To put on a show. To have history repeat itself. I'm close behind you now, though for a while you eluded me. This is a fun game. My retribution will be harder because of your troupe's cleverness, but it's fun. Sara would have thought so. Anyway, I apologize that I haven't been practicing my English writing—I'm sure you can tell, it's just as wormy as before. I do hope to catch up with you soon._

_Outa Itaru_

"Shit. We might be leaving sooner than planned."

Sakura snatched up the letter and read through it quickly. Ronin didn't object. "Sooner being _now_?" she asked after finishing, folding the note up and putting it in the pocket of her gray sweatpants. Ishin made a grab for it and she slapped his hand away nonchalantly. "Never mind, you."

"Like I can't guess who it's from anyway. Let me re—"

"It's kinda...disheartening," Ronin said, staring the General down coolly. "And it's kinda more personal than that. You don't really need to read it, so go get your things packed, Ishin. You too, Tokie."

The girl nodded quickly and left to the bathroom, and Ishin grudgingly turned and started throwing clothes into the nearest bag, which was actually Katie's. "Ronin, where is he?" he asked. "At least tell me that, and I may be able to plan where we should head next."

"He's right on our tail. It doesn't make a difference where we go." He paused to clean out the small refrigerator, emptying fruit and crackers into another random bag. "He might be right outside the door, for all we know, so..."

Katie changed quickly into sweatpants like Sakura's and pulled up her hair, sticking a dagger into the waistband. She silently went to check on Toklata, who had the bathroom cleaned of their few items there.

"I'm going to change so it's easier to move," she said, determined but utterly adorable as she moved about the room with such purpose. She was wearing a yellow sundress. "Ah, where's my sword? _Where_? I can protect you, master, if I have—"

A smile from Ronin. "Tokie_, I'll _protect _you,_ so don't worry."

She shot him a dissatisfied look and ground her teeth at him, looking exasperated. "You don't wanna fight him, he's your friend," she grumbled, pulling purple pajama bottoms from her bag.

"Itaru isn't my friend anymore. He's obsessed with revenge and something totally different." He patted her on the head. "But I appreciate your offer."

She diverted her eyes grudgingly, still looking more than a little unconvinced. "Stupid," she muttered, leaving to change in the bathroom.

Ronin sighed and Katie tried to smile reassuringly at him. "You're not losing her admiration because of the story," she said, hugging him a little awkwardly as the others went on hurriedly cleaning up the room. "It's Itaru who's confusing her, not you."

"Katie..." He looked elsewhere and stepped away from the woman, running a hand through his hair. "You don't have to lie." He sat down on the edge of one of the two small beds and stared at his hands. "I don't blame her fornotidolizing me. I'm not exactly a saint to begin with, and that story... Well..."

Katie stubbornly sat down next to him. "Ronin, I really don't think it's so bad. Stop that wallowing in self-pity and focus on your future with Toklata. Maybe you should start up those sword lessons again? I think it would make both of you happier."

He nodded slowly. "Katie, that's not a bad idea, you know. Thank you." A smile barely broke through, then he stood and addressed the rest of the room. "All right, guys. Let's finish up."

As it was, everyone was done packing, and they headed to the main entrance, where a sleepy attendant checked them out without any questions. The dawn was only a few hours away, but they planned on getting at least to the neighboring city. On the trip, Sakura continued the story of Shichi.

_--_

Roden couldn't help himself. Somehow, since Itaru was going to sleep the rest of the night and Sara had taken off, he didn't want to go back to the Outa's Mansion after picking up his clothes and quickly watering the Gardens. And somehow, he ended up in that dirt-patch end of the district, the slums. Ama-chan would not be awake at this time of night, but looking into the windows of Hoshijiro's room, he saw a light. Not really understanding why, but also knowing that he definitely did not want to be in the Outa House alone with Daisuke, Roden scaled the walls of the rickety building and slunk through the window, quietly lifting the painted screen in front of it.

Hoshijiro was facing the other way, reading on his light green futon. The apartment looked much better than it had before. It was now clean and decorated with paintings and arranged nicely--there was the futon in the corner, a tiny little table at the center of the room, a small counter on the other side where a short kitchen knife lay next to some carrots. Near that was a small tub of water, and clothes folded neatly in a corner. The only disarray it had was the mess of brushes and ink lying on the table, splattered on the floor a little.

"Hey," Roden started quietly, trying hard not to startle the artist.

He failed, and Hoshijiro jumped violently. "Oh...Roden-kun, it's just you," he said after getting a good, totally fearful look. He was tired and haggard, but looked suddenly hopeful. "Please don't do that. Um...are you here for something?"

"Sorry, but not really. I was bored."

"Oh," he said, clearly dejected. He sighed and got up from his bed, dressed in a thin green sleeping yukata. "Well, I'm awake anyway, so I'll make tea."

"Were you expecting..."

He smiled warmly turned away from Roden. "I thought...you might have Jaden-san with you... Or that you might have news about Jaden-san..."

"Ah... No, sorry." He felt awkward but touched. Despite various distractions in the form of the Shinsengumi, their relationship seemed to be progressing well. And that was good and reassuring—Hoshijiro was a good, gullible man. "So I heard you met three of the Shinsengumi. How was that?"

"Oh, well, you really exaggerated, didn't you?" he laughed, pouring green tea into two separate clay glasses. "They were nice. Entertaining. Funny. I guess they just have a bad job, you know? But I got inspiration from them. A muse. There's beauty everywhere, really. I'd like very much to paint Jaden-san all of a sudden, but she's so busy."

"I see." He didn't really. Art was something he appreciated, but had no skill at—not visually or musically or poetically. Hoshijiro was deep and hard to understand in this sense, and Roden wondered why someone who made a living of capturing beauty was falling in love with someone as ugly-inside-and-out as Jaden. He set down his tea suddenly, realizing he'd just used the cliched phrase 'falling in love' within his own thoughts, and examined Hoshijiro. He wasn't sure what else it could be called. Hoshijiro seemed to now be loosing sleep over not seeing her, and she had been infatuated from the very start. "Have you kissed her yet?" he found himself asking, without even thinking. Hoshijiro set down his tea slowly, but didn't seem embarrassed.

"Only once. I know to someone like you that seems silly, but...the atmosphere in Kyoto is no longer very romantic. The conditions should be better." Strangely, Roden thought of Rai—and how he was undoubtedly **not** in love with her. Hoshijiro's unmatched desire for beauty in all senses of his life somehow confirmed this. And now that Roden was undoubtedly best friends with Outa Itaru, this was a good thing. They were in love, Itaru and Rai...maybe. But either way, he didn't want to interfere. He was now sure that Sara Mann would be watching him, too, and didn't want to give away any ill-intentions to her. He resolved not to pursue Rai romantically—honestly. The conditions, as Hoshijiro had put it, would not be right or romantic at all. He still wanted to see her and teach her about vampires, but all of the bad thoughts were suddenly gone. He didn't want to sleep with her because she was Itaru's, and Itaru was the better, kinder, wealthier man. "Thank you," Roden said. At Hoshijiro's blank stare, he added hastily, "For taking care of Jaden, I mean."

"Oh, no. Jaden-chan takes care of herself, mostly." He laughed and sipped at the tea, smiling at Roden brightly. There was eye contact. Hoshijiro was opening up, he could tell. And he wondered if he knew—knew about the fun bloodsucking and night-living that should have made him that much warier.

"Samurai-niisan!" They both looked out the small window, surprised. Ama-chan was outside with a pink lantern and, strangely, Shinsengumi Vice-Commander Yamanami at her side. She was leaning sleepily and looked as though she wasn't quite sure why she had called out for Roden. Yamanami was dressed in a lavender sleeping yukata and was smiling genially, as if absolutely nothing was odd about the situation. Hoshijiro smiled back in the same way. Roden remained warily neutral, and said to Ama-chan, "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I was in Mibu," she said, explaining tiredly and rubbing her eyes. "Now Yamanami-san is bringing me home. So I can go to bed." She looked upwards to Yamanami when she said his name, but then yawned and rubbed her eyes again before Roden could decide what exactly the glance had meant.

"Ama-chan wanted to come home," Yamanami repeated, as if this helped to clear things up. Hoshijiro nodded knowingly, and Roden continued being indifferent until the man spoke to him directly. "Hello, Roden-kun. Are you terribly busy at the moment?"

Roden blinked and scratched at his head. "Um...not really," he replied finally, a little nervous.

"Wonderful. And you have a sword?"

"...Yes."

"Great." The man's smile widened. "Escort me back to headquarters."

Roden bit his lip skeptically as he wondered what exactly Yamanami wanted to speak with him about--the man had his own sword at his waist, and was a master of the country's top sword school... He certainly did not need an escort. But Hoshijiro and Ama-chan seemed not to catch this, and Hoshijiro bowed to Roden before he even agreed.

"Thanks for stopping by, Roden," he said happily.

"...Sure." Rather than taking the door, he hopped out the open window. Hoshijiro looked a little shaken by the show, suggesting that he still didn't know that Roden and Jaden were vampires, but Yamanami and Ama-chan seemed unfazed when he landed neatly on his feet. He bowed back to the artist and continued to Ama-chan's rickety hut of a home, dropping her at the door. She pulled open the shoji and departed slowly inside with her usual strange ramblings. "Your master has yet to get a blanket," she had said. "She'll never win." She shut the door behind her.

"Why...was she in Mibu?" Roden asked finally as the pair stood confused at the door for a few tense and awkward moments.

"Um, let's see... She was at a friend's house," Yamanami explained, looking up towards the sky from his pathetic height and turning back towards Hoshijiro's house. "At about two in the morning, your lovely master woke me up... She was in need of cloth... Oh my, thinking of the mischief she could potentially be causing, I really shouldn't have left her to her own devices..." He trailed off worriedly and Roden asked again about Ama-chan. Yamanami nodded and went on; "Ama-chan was wandering around in the dark. She seemed to have gotten a little frightened and homesick, so I brought her here. Strange that you would be here too."

"And what exactly did you want from me?"

"An escort."

"Don't give me that shit. You have a sword."

"I see you've got a foul mouth like Jaden-san."

Roden scowled and looked the other way—the man was hard to argue with. The goofy smile and distracted attitude only served to make him unassuming and…_likeable_. The lavender yukata and honest good will were too much, though... He was too nice. Something else was going on within his head. After a few silent minutes, the mood changed suddenly. Roden felt Yamanami's ki grow a little bitter and saw him frown. "Roden," he said slowly. "Jaden-san said you were from America. So, do you know of the myths...of creatures that suck the life from humans by drinking their blood?"

Roden felt himself get pale and tense. Vampires, they're called—that's what he should have said. Casually, passingly. But Yamanami must have sensed the change in his ki, as he looked up questioningly, a little worried. "Yeah...I know them," Roden answered finally, a little too tightly. "Vampires." If Yamanami knew...he was didn't seem the type who would drive a steak through anyone's heart, but what was he planning? The man looked to the stars.

"Vampires," he repeated the English word strange on his lips. "Are they... No. It's just an amazing likeness, I guess. Never mind."

Roden relaxed. "Oh. You're talking...about Hijikata." He had to try hard to keep from laughing at the irony—the poor man thought that his mortal coworker was a vampire, when in reality the bloodsucker was the slave-assassin under their employ.

"Ah, no," Yamanami argued with amazing calm. Only his false, nervous smile gave him away. "Toshizou-kun and I get a long quite well. We're not at odds at all."

"Don't bother lying to me. Political power struggles are obvious to those who hate politics."

"It's not a power struggle," he said, laughing a little. His quiet tone of voice startled Roden, and he gave him an almost apologetic look. "You need power to engage in a power struggle. Being able to ask Jaden-san to do a few chores is the most authority I've had in the Shinsengumi for a while. I'm really just...a worthless figurehead."

Roden stopped walking suddenly. "Wait...what?" Yamanami was Jaden's lifeline to humanity. If he was completely serious, then...

The man had continued walking, and Roden took several large strides to catch up with him again. They entered Mibu. "Tanabata was a week ago," he said infuriatingly, smiling warmly.

The vampire was, admittedly, a bit distracted by that. "The Festival of the Star-Crossed Lovers..." he replied, valiantly keeping Rai and her porcelain skin from his thoughts. "It was last week?" He confirmed in his mind that it was indeed already-mid July and frowned.

"Mm. I sent my Akesato roses. It was a little expensive, but..." He paused, and Roden watched his smile widen. Jaden had told him before that Akesato was a prostitute in Shimabara—and a woman that Yamanami was undoubtedly and unquestionably in love with. "Roden-kun, was there someone special you forgot about?"

He snapped to attention as they passed a schoolhouse. "No. Tanabata has always been a joke to my mentor and I." A voice in his head snapped Call her Jaden, you fucking moron! And he suddenly grew sick of the excuses and distractions. He sighed, "Now what the hell do you really want?"

Yamanami gave him a sidelong glance, biting his bottom lip and frowning of trying to think of the right words. Shinsengumi Headquarters was only a block away. "Well," he began slowly, quietly, "to be very blunt...Jaden-san is terrible at making decisions."

"...I know."

"And she likes to play tricks on Toshizou-kun."

"I know." Surer this time.

"But he has yet to retaliate... And there's going to be a point where... A point that no one will be able to save her, and he's going to pay her back a billion fold. It's terribly worrying. Can't you do something about it?"

"Like what? I can't control her. Trust me, I've tried to manipulate her and convince her of things... It's very nearly impossible; snow in July is more likely. Besides, you'll be around." They reached the large gates of Headquarters.

"But if I'm not, just... Roden, just make a good decision and stick with it. Follow through. Show some tough love, if necessary." He slipped through the gates before Roden could even say goodbye, let alone argue with him.

--

Roden returned to the Outa house not long after, a little confused and tired. He dodged questions posed by the awake Itaru—who had taken a nap while waiting for Roden's return—and dumped his clothes on the bed in his (Imari's) room. Itaru followed closely behind him, wordless, carrying with him a leather-bound book. "I paid my mentor's boyfriend a quick visit," he said casually. "Sorry. So, what's that book?' He craned his neck to see, but there was really no need, as Itaru shoved it at him excitedly almost before the question had left his lips.

"You're American, right?" he asked happily, rhetorically. "Well, I know it was about a century ago, but could you explain to me a bit about the American Revolution? You must know a little history, right?" The book was a myriad of different documents from the time, all in neatly and ornately printed English. "And I know what you're thinking: that I'm a bum who hardly works at all. But even though I'll enjoy it, learning the tactics and things might come in handy to the Choshu clan." He smiled hopefully.

Roden knew a little too much about the Revolution, actually, having been around ten at the time, and agreed to explain a few things. Though he'd never had history lessons on any country other than Japan, he remembered many of the events quite clearly. They both sat on the cushiony bed with legs crossed and began, Roden starting nervously with, "There really weren't any tactics... It was more like dirty fighting."

Explanations of the Boston Massacre, Concord, Paul Revere and the Declaration of Independence followed, and soon it was sunrise. As the pair was participating in something of a debate over the Boston Tea Party, Sara popped her angsty little head into the room. "It was a worthless night," she reported curtly, now wearing a frilly pink nightgown, eyelids heavy, hair loose. Roden teased her for it, but she didn't retaliate at all, instead drifting up to her own room.

"She's tired," Itaru said apologetically. "You must be too. But really—you think that the Boston Tea Party was an act of vandalism?"

Roden remembered quite clearly that it was, no doubts about it, an act of vandalism. Despite the statement dumping the tea had made, the rest of innocent Boston had suffered for the actions of the Sons of Liberty. War was war, but... he had only been nine. He nodded firmly to Itaru.

"But it's an iconic event, Roden!" he argued. "An act of rebellion, an act against the establishment!"

"Well, that's true, too." He didn't much feel like elaborating more. "But if you've still got to study the French Revolution before tomorrow night, you'd better hop to it. I'm a little tired." He smiled apologetically to his friend, who pouted at having been reminded of his other work.

"You're right, I guess. Goodnight." He sulked away, closing the door quietly and crossing the hall to his own room. Roden listened to the tired footsteps, heard him pull the chair of his desk out and sit down. He cringed at the sound of an immensely heavy book flopping onto the desk, and turned his lantern off, trying to move his attention elsewhere.

--

"...No."

"Yeah. Pretty nice disguise, right?"

"...No. He can't—"

"Heisuke."

"Stop making fun of me."

"Todo Heisuke Fujiwara no Yoshitora." Despite the dark, moonless night, Jaden could see him cringe at the use of his full name.

"Prove it." Imari clutched her yukata to her chest worriedly as Heisuke motioned to it, and Jaden crossed her arms, clearly exasperated.

"Hei-kun, I can't do this by myself," she said through gritted teeth. "I know you like boys better, but you've just got to accept that this one is a girl. Keep it down, too. If the demon hears..."

Heisuke moved closer to Imari and looked her up and down, examining her face and arms and legs carefully after rolling his eyes at Jaden. "Jaden-chan, no girl would cut her hair this short. You are a moron."

"My apologies, Todo-sensei, but a girl would cut her hair if it was for a noble cause," Imari blurted suddenly, standing up on the engawa. "Do you think we're all stupid and vain? I'm here to fight for the Shogun, not to look pretty." In this prime position, and while Jaden was happily nodding at her speech, Heisuke quickly reached out with both hands and groped Imari's chest. They both yelped shortly after and jumped backwards, Imari crashing into the wall behind her and Heisuke toppling to the ground, taking his pink lantern with him. The flame went out and the trio was left in darkness. A nearby shoji flew open and light flooded the ground as Okita poked his head out and looked around.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?"

"Balancing on the edge of the engawa," Jaden answered quickly, smiling. "These two really suck at it."

"Ah. I would join you if I didn't have to get ready for patrol. Too bad!" He smiled his amazingly innocent and childlike smile before disappearing back into his room, shutting in the light with him.

Through the darkness, Heisuke hissed, "You-you are a girl."

"Hei-kun, you're so stupid! Now you've gone and traumatized the poor girl with your groping." Jaden took the chance and held Imari protectively.

"No! That's not how I wanted to come off!"

"Shh!"

Souji peeked out of his room again, without any warning. "Ano...would you three like a light?" he asked, frowning pertly, fingers interlaced. Jaden held up a hand in salute.

"Thanks, kiddo, but I've got to get back to To-shi-zou to get my assignments for the night."

"Oh, to To-shi-zou, then? Alllllrighty." He returned the salute and retreated into his room again.

Imari and Heisuke cringed at the familiarity, the mocking pronunciation, and the lack of an honorific to Hijikata's name. It was worse than Jaden's cursing—truly terrifying to be pulled into, as they would be punished severely. Imari was still a little confused over Jaden's disrespect for the Vice-Commander, and how exactly she got away with it (Okita...well, he was Okita Souji, and generally got away with everything, so this was much easier to grasp).

Jaden turned back to them, frowning. "I really do have to go soon, or I'll get it. Imari-chan, you have to be more careful."

"Jaden-san, I didn't do anything..." She was ignored.

"Stay with Hei-kun in my absence," she continued, undaunted. "I want to teach you some girly-kenjustu that I used to do—" She didn't want to say 'from before I became a vampire and got ten times stronger,' and stopped awkwardly mid-sentence. "Well, in any case, our schedules don't correspond very well, so we'll have to work something out. It'll be getting darker earlier during the winter..."

"Jay-chan," Heisuke threw in, scratching his head nervously, "do you really need to give her private lessons? I mean, you can beat Souji... I don't think it's something you should beat on the kid."

"Todo-sensei, I think I'm older than you, so please don't call me a kid," Imari sighed, crossing her arms. After receiving no reply from the other two, she bowed awkwardly even though they couldn't see her through the dark. "Ah...my apologies, Todo-sensei. It wasn't my place to—"

"Kawaii! Oh, Imari-chan, so your ambitions are so noble!" She felt Heisuke latch onto her approvingly. "Such a strong-minded girl is—"

"Definitely Outa Itaru's sister," Jaden put in, disappearing to gather her list of nightly chores, leaving Imari a little insulted and Heisuke a little confused.

--

The same night, Roden escorted Itaru to the meeting that had required him to review history's handful of revolutions, dressed in a beat-up gray yukata and carrying a gas-lamp dutifully to light their way through the starless night. Itaru, wearing a navy blue yukata, was clutching nervously at his stomach, repeating facts over and over to himself—obviously a little stressed. Sara Mann's footsteps were barely audible from the rooftops above them.

"Don't worry so much," Roden said, smiling in a way that he hoped was reassuring. "You know this stuff, it's not a big deal anyway. Relax. Rai will be there, and she seems to help you calm down." He hadn't noticed this specifically in Itaru, but just guessed that Rai's quiet and intelligent presence could be either calming or nerve-wracking, depending on the person. To someone who had known her for their entire life, like Itaru, she was probably pretty reassuring. To someone like himself, who was trying to keep impure thoughts from his mind, it would probably get a little annoying...

Itaru let out a shaky breath of air, looking grateful and returning Roden's smile. "Right. You're right. Just another meeting."

"I thought it was supposed to be, like, really important," Sara called intentionally from above them. Pointing the gas lamp upward, Roden caught her smiling as Itaru tensed up again.

"Sara Mann is a dumb bitch!" Roden sang in reply, having given up on being nice to her. She replied through a single hand motion, dashing ahead of them. "Um...Itaru, is there actually something special about this meeting?" he went on, scratching his head. Itaru had admitted that he was actually good with public speaking, so Roden really couldn't decipher his odd behavior.

"Sakamoto-sensei is going to be there," Itaru admitted. "He's my idol; my hero. Really someone to be admired on all accounts."

"Sakamoto _Ryoma_?" Roden asked, frowning at Itaru's quick nod. Sakamoto, the _Indispensable Nobody_, was the outcast of the revolutionaries. He was a little eccentric, and his current project, if Roden had heard correctly, was working on building up a navy for the Choshu clan with the help of Western powers. It quickly became clear why Itaru respected the man so much—hell, Itaru's own ideals were probably heavily based on Sakamoto's.

They were wandering into the woods, away from the bright lights of Kyoto. Itaru had mentioned that the meeting wouldn't be in Gion per usual, and Roden wondered amusedly if Sara could maneuver through the trees. He tried to reassure Itaru again just as a rather large shack appeared around a turn in the beaten path. In its subtlety and modesty, it was undoubtedly the meeting place, and the voices inside slowly hushed as they drew nearer. Itaru straightened out his yukata one final time before getting on his knees and bowing at the door. Roden followed suit quickly as the younger man announced himself. He felt Sara's ki nearby.

The rickety shoji slid open slightly, and a man eyed Roden. Itaru answered immediately with, "Oh, and my...mmm...bodyguard. It's fine."

"Itaru, I can stay out he—" A strong stab from Sara's ki quickly informed him that, _no_, he _couldn't_ stay out here. Apparently it was solely her job; that or she didn't want to talk to him. "Never mind."

They were allowed inside without a further problem or even a suspicious look, and took place around a small table. Rai and Oume were already there, and Roden purposely allowed Itaru to take a seat closest to the former. She sent him a sidelong look that Itaru's ignorant innocence skillfully managed not to notice.

"Outa-kun!" boomed a voice from the head of the table, coming from the man who was undoubtedly Sakamoto Ryoma. He was well-built but a little stocky, his face strong and square, and was wearing a black haori over a forest-green gi and white hakama, but with Western-styled boots instead of zouri. His black hair was drawn back in a low ponytail that screamed 'colonial America,' and his voice was strong and loud. "A bodyguard, huh? I knew you'd give in."

"And an English tutor, sir. May I introduce you to Takoda Roden, American _Ronin_."

Roden bowed silently, and the rest of the room returned the gesture politely. It was strange after having been in the meeting two weeks prior with Jaden, with everyone on edge and snapping at one another, but completely welcome. The group was obviously fairly close, all followed Sakamoto's ideals, and trusted that Itaru was a good judge of character. Though Itaru looked to be the youngest there, the large majority of the other men and women appeared to be under thirty as well.

"American, huh?" Sakamoto went on with the same enthusiasm, grinning broadly. "Wow, Itaru-kun, you sure are lucky to have all these foreigners flocking to you. How insightful you must be now, having Roden-kun and Sara-chan with you all the time."

"Well, Roden is a bit more cooperative than Sara," the boy replied, smiling and glancing upward to the ceiling unconsciously.

"As much as I'd like to bombard you with questions, Roden-kun, we actually do have a few things to do...So!" He pointed at Itaru excitedly. "Please begin!"

The nervousness was reborn and Itaru wrung his hands before beginning, but after starting he did just fine. In fact, he was quite the charismatic speaker. "My fellow idealists," he began, addressing them all with fingers interlaced. "Those among us tonight are some of the most intelligent and conventional people I know... And yet, so many of you suffer under the Bakufu's disgusting class system, labeled permanently with a title chosen by birth, regardless of talent or potential. Enough of this—the Shogunate is _corrupt_. And the action we have taken thus far has not improved anything. I know very well we've been putting our hearts into it, but we must keep trying and we _must_ make a difference this time. We must make a move that even the children in Hokkaido will be hearing about—but, not necessarily against the Bakufu._ We need to be noticed by the_ people. Noticed as a group different from Choshu and the Sonno-Joi—because we _are_—who truly wants to save this country. The people of Kyoto will come to our aid. Now, looking at such incidents passed... The Boston Tea Party of the American Revolution and the Storming of the Bastille in the French Revolution..." He explained the details of both to those who were unaware of them, glancing quickly at Roden—who was a little irked by the idolization of the Tea Party—and flashing his little apologetic smile quickly. "I truly believe that creating an iconic act of rebellion of our own will improve our chances against the Shogun." He removed his hands from the table and set them in his lap, signaling that he was done.

"Right..." Sakamoto answered immediately, nodding. "It's a good idea." Itaru sat up a little straighter, elated. "But what exactly are you thinking?"

"Fire." And he smiled.

--

A/N- It's been a while, huh? Bleh. Figured I'd get this up, then focus on the Shichi Holiday Special... That's right. You heard correct. In a fit of holiday spirit, I thought to myself, "Sara Mann would know about Christmas, and Itaru would most certainly be interested..." and things got out of hand from there. So Happy Holidays to you all. Even if you have to skip over this chapter or whatever, please read the holiday special here when I get it up. It'll be a nice, light turn away from Shichi's usual angst and darkness.

Next Chapter: HOLIDAY SPECIAL! Sara Mann reminds Roden of Christmas, something that she has celebrated with the very interested Itaru for the past two years (though, the Dutch seem to celebrate a bit differently than Roden remembers). After discovering that a certain toy-bearing saint is only a myth, Itaru resolves to save Christmas and deliver candy and toys to the residents of Outa House while they sleep...until the real Sinterklaas shows up. Or is that just a cleverly disguised Shinsengumi, out to destroy the Choshu's Christmas? Then, Irked by Jaden and Heisuke's attempt to take down the Western holiday, Itaru and his gang plan to demolish the Shinsengumi's New Year's party.


	16. Intermission: MERRY CHRISTMAS

An Intermission: Sinterklaas and Peace on Earth

"Snow. It's snowing again, Roden."

Roden looked to the sky as if he hadn't already noticed the white flakes twirling around them in the December wind. The ground still had a white covering from when it had snowed a few days ago. "Itaru, it's been snowing for the past month..." he replied, going on through the closing-up Kyoto marketplace even when Itaru stopped to try and catch one of the fat flakes in his gloved hands. Ama-chan, bundled in a tick haori and grasping his hand, continued walking along with him.

"But it's so nice and pretty, Roden. I can't help but notice."

Sara stopped as well and observed skeptically, a blue bonnet concealing her blonde hair. It was hardly worth the effort, as people were amused by her Western dress anyway. "Well, snow's not exactly_ weird_ for November, Itaru," she said, hand on her hip. "Stop getting so excited every time, you moron."

"_Who's _the moron?" Roden asked, turning back to the pair as he saw a chance to verbally attack the kunoichi. "It's already December."

She had been in the midst of struggling with Itaru, her conservative baby-blue dress giving him a distinct advantage, but then she suddenly slapped him away and glared at Roden. "_Liar," _she accused.

As it was certainly not the first time the vampire had heard this word being directed at him by Sara Mann, he remained unphased and only stared at her. Ama-chan explained carefully, "No. November ended last week. Today is December fourth."

"Ah!" Sara and Itaru cried together, turning to each other and grasping each other's hands. Then, they spoke in unison again, except Sara in clear Dutch and Itaru with his Japanese accent. "Sinterklaas!" they gasped, looking worried and frantic.

Roden echoed the foreign word. "What's that?"

They ignored him and ran about the slippery streets.

"Ah, we may have decorations from last year!"

"We won't have time to get surprises!"

"Carrots! Do we have carrots?! Cookies?! Anything?!"

Shopkeepers were starting to stare, and a group of Shinsengumi had just rounded the corner at the other end of the street. Roden, trusting Ama-chan to follow, gathered the two frantic Choshu by their arms and pulled them away gently to the next street over, into an alley. A brown cat glared at them and took off, irked by the noise and Roden's vampire blood.

"Hey, subtle and inconspicuous rebel buddies, way to be inconspicuous," he hissed at them, trapping them inside of the alley (with help from Ama-chan) when they attempted to run out into the street again like headless chickens. Itaru grudgingly pulled his grey wool scarf closer around his neck and Sara ground her teeth.

"Roden, there's no time for that! You really are a stupid, godless bastard!"

"Oh." Their garbled and frantic words came back to him and clicked together in his mind. Decorations, surprises, cookies, godless. "You're a Christian, then, Sara?" he asked, relaxing and leaning on a wall as she knocked him over the head.

"What the hell else would I be? And shouldn't you be, too?! Jerk."

"I'm actually pretty religion-less," he admitted, rubbing at his head where Sara had clocked him. Even the 'gods of the vampires' and whatnot seemed a little hard to believe to him, so since becoming a vampire he had dumped religion altogether. But he remembered Christmas. He had liked Christmas.

"But you know Sinterklaas, don't you?" Itaru encouraged, smiling again. It didn't take much for him.

"No. Wait, what?"

"You uncultured moron. You _must._" Sara put a finger to her lips and thought very quickly. "He comes with Black Peter and gives good children toys or candy in their shoes...and in return they leave him cookies and carrots for his white horse. You know."

"Santa Claus? Do you mean Santa Claus?"

"Yes!"

"But who's Black Peter again?"

"Well, he comes with Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas is dressed like a saint and he's dressed like a demon. He and Sinterklaas come from Spain on their boat."

It didn't really ring any bells, and all Roden could picture was Yamanami and Hijikata. He shrugged. "Christmas is totally religious, though. And no matter how you look at it, this 'Saint Nick' character was something made up to get children to be good in exchange for gifts. It's kind of stupid."

Sara glared pointedly at him in that deadly, bitchy way and crossed her arms.

"Don't tell me you beli--"

"I-is it true, Roden?"

A pang of guilt hit his stomach--the lie was for Itaru's sake, and now the young man was looking at him imploringly, eyes round and worried. While Roden was preoccupied over whether to lie or let him know that Sara was lying to him, the kunoichi slunk out of the alley and took to the rooftops. The sun had now mostly set and hopefully no one would see the bright blue flashing against the sky...

"Roden, i-is Sinterklaas real?"

Ama-chan now looked up at him too, more sympathetic than questioning. Her face said, "It's kind of weird, but I guess it makes him happy," and her mouth said, "But Itaru-niisan, people from Japan are Shinto or Buddhists. So wouldn't Sinterklaas not visit here anyway? I'm sure that's what Ro-niisan meant."

Roden nodded, relieved as usual that he had the clever little girl. "That's right. And even if you like Christmas and are interested in Christianity, you're a Shintoist, too, right?"

"Well, I guess. But Sinterklaas has always given me things before."

Three dark shadows loomed around Roden. Or rather, two. Heisuke and Jaden had peeked into the alley from around him, one on either side, but Imari was standing unenthusiastically several feet away.

"Oooh, Hei-kun, I told you it was them."

"Good ears. Hello, Roden-kun."

Roden sent Heisuke his classic rude and distasteful look, though was happy to see that the trio was not in uniform.

"Jaden-san, Todo-sensei, let's go," Imari said, avoiding Itaru's eyes and tapping her boots impatiently. "Don't you two have to work?"

"I took the liberty of getting us a day off together, my darling. And Jaden's just going to skip and hope Hijikata-san doesn't hiratsuki her."

"That was the plan."

"Why didn't I know about this...?" Imari looked a little put out, but used to such surprises. Jaden and Shinsengumi boy squee-ed and hugged at her tenderly, watching for Itaru's reaction as they pawed at and rubbed on his sister like cats.

(He turned red--and not from the cold. This was Roden's cue, and he pulled Imari from the pair's grip without any trouble at all, setting her down in the alleyway near Itaru.)

The twins avoided gazes for a few seconds, then turned to her and said, "You remember Sinterklaas, right, Ima? He brought us presents for Christmas." He smiled at her, and for a moment they really did look like twins--normal twins who loved one another.

The illusion was quickly shattered. Imari glared at him over he square glasses. "Baka. Do you really still believe in that?"

His smile slipped slowly away. "But--"

"Sara always snuck out and put those gifts in our shoes. She ate the carrots, too. Sinterklaas isn't real."

Even Jaden and Heisuke seemed to sense the disappointment and awkwardness. They exchanged looks and backed out of the alleyway, while Roden was itching to give the unpleasant girl back to them so that they could continue their blatant sexual harassment. The twins' contrasting personalities were making his head hurt, and he much preferred the upbeat Itaru.

"Jaden-san, did you get a blanket yet?"

Jaden jumped and drew her hands up to her chest, looking down at Ama-chan. "You're a creepy little girl. Do you want a nice straw doll or something for New Years?"

"I live in the Outa house now. I only play with porcelain dolls. We can_ buy_ you a blanket if you'd like."

"Let's go, Ima-chan." Jaden crooked a finger at the girl, watching Ama-chan cautiously as if she might bite.

There was no protest from the disguised young woman, but Heisuke kept looking at Itaru. "Cute," he said simply, tilting his head. "But I think Ito-sensei would appreciate the blonde more than I do."

The two women pulled him away, into the shop nearest the alleyway. Itaru seemed more upset about Sinterklaas still than Heisuke possibly sending one of his friends to oogle him.

"Man. Sorry, Itaru. She really didn't have to be so nasty about it..." He continued to mope. "But hey, Christmas isn't until later in the month, so we have time to--"

"No. Sinterklaas comes on the fifth. Later is time to spend with family and friends, but Sinterklaas comes on the fifth. Tomorrow night. I should get gifts for you, and you, Ama-chan, and Sara, but there's not really enough time..." He blinked suddenly, and his eyes grew wide.

"Don't worry about it. The room and food is enough."

"But it's the spirit of Christmas! Don't you see?!" He was smiling manically again, seeming to have worked himself out of depression and into ecstasy. He reached into his yukata sleeve and pulled out two ryo hopefully. "Even if Sinterklaas isn't real, the story gives him life. As long as someone puts gifts into everyone's shoes, Sinterklaas _is_ real. If Sara was Sinterklaas in the past, I can be Sinterklaas this year! Yes!"

Roden smiled. It was just so like him.

--

Jaden and Heisuke looked at one another while Imari stood behind them. They had their ears pressed against the thin wall of the katana shop neighboring the alleyway and could hear Roden and Itaru quite well. "What the hell is he...?" they asked in unison, looking to the disguised girl.

"It's a Western holiday called Christmas," she sighed, wiping the water droplets that had once been snow out of her hair. "Sara told us about it and Itaru wanted to try it right away. So we've done it for two years now. It's a Christian religious celebration, so it was a litter weird... Plus, it's so close to New Year's, which is actually a traditional Japanese celebration... But on December fifth, there's supposed to be this...magical saint guy who comes to children's houses in the night on his white horse. They leave their shoes out for him, and if they've been good all year he leaves a present and if they've been bad he leaves coal or stones."

"Stupid," her companions said together.

"Yeah...but it's a time when families are supposed to be together. So there was never any fighting with us on Christmas. I feel a little...nostalgic."

"Wait!" Jaden proclaimed, smiling a kitsune's smile suddenly. Heisuke and Imari's stomachs sank at the mischievous look, and the shop owner gave all three of them a dirty look. She cleared her throat and hushed her voice before continuing. "We're going to make the Outa boy and that foul kunoichi believe that Sinterklaas is real! We'll dress up like him and deliver presents to their shoes!"

Both were touched but a little suspicious. "Why the good deed? Holiday spirit, or something?"

"No, silly. We're going to leave them rocks and tell them to obey the Shogunate if they want presents next year!"

Heisuke bowed apologetically to the shopkeeper and led the girls outside again. He shivered and Jaden passed him her scarf hopefully, waiting patiently for one of them to approve of her plan. "Man, its cold," he said. "Screwing with someone else's holiday is cold, Jay-chan."

"Jaden-san, we would have to speak to them to get the point across," Imari added. She pulled her haori tightly shut against the snowy wind. "And they would recognize us, especially Roden-kun. We'd probably get kunai thrown at us. Besides, Sinterklaas is supposed to be a tall, slender old man, and none of us really fit the part." In honesty, she was a little put off by the idea of alienating her family further than she already had, and sighed. "Then there's Black Peter, too. He's supposed to be a devil-like character."

"Don't we know a devil-like character?"

"Yeah, cause _he'd _agree to do something like that."

"Sannan-san might agree to play Sinterklaas, but he's too short... What about Ito-sensei?"

"Todo-sensei, please don't start getting into it, too..."

"No, that's a good idea!" Jaden encouraged, smiling craftily again. "He has glasses, too, so with some makeup we might be able to make him look old... They've never seen Ito before, either. Though, I don't really want to...have to make a deal with _him_..."

Heisuke frowned. "Still don't trust him?"

She shrugged noncommittally. "In any case, I think if we could persuade him, we should go for it. Shall we head back to HQ?"

"Guys..." Their feet crunched on through the snow, and Imari had no choice but to follow. It seemed that her own Christmas plans for Itaru would never happen.

--

Roden and Itaru had separated--what use was a bodyguard when you had a Colt Revolver, anyway?--and the former found that he had obtained some holiday cheer, but only had about two hundred yen to work with, as far as gifts went. Plus, Ama-chan was there with him.

"I don't know... What can I buy them with _this_?" he asked her.

"It seems to be more about the spirit of love than gifts, Roden-niisan," she suggested. "You're the best cook in the house, so maybe you should make something for them?"

"Well, Rai doesn't really-- Rai. Ama-chan, does Rai count? I wonder if she celebrates Christmas, too?" The girl shrugged, and he decided on the food idea--if he made enough of something, he could just pass it on to Rai if she showed up. He bought ingredients with his two-hundred yen, smiling merrily at the shopkeepers and passerby.

He remembered this feeling. It wasn't the same Christmas he had celebrated at ten or nine or eight years old, but the feeling was the same--he was happy for no reason, and he wanted to do nice things, even for Sara. She probably didn't plan on returning the favor, but he didn't even mind. "Come on, Ama-chan, let's go home." And he picked her up and carried her.

--

"What a devious plot. You three are always up to no good." Tall, slender, Ito Kashitaro smiled at them from around a hand mirror. "Or rather, you two...and poor Outa-kun gets pulled into things." He pushed up his glasses and pulled his white and gold haori off.

Imari and Heisuke were bowing in his door, the former a little grudgingly. Jaden had also been bowing against her will seconds before, but had ducked under the engawa when she sensed the Demon rounding a corner near them.

More than a little miffed, he stopped by them and addressed Ito and the other two suspiciously, bowing stiffly. "Where's Takoda?" he asked. "She's always with the two of you, so--"

Imari and Heisuke looked terrified, but were saved by Ito. "They've been talking to me for quite a while, Hijikata-san. And I thought Yamanami-san had asked Jaden-san to do something, so maybe she's out?" He smiled, a charming smile, and Hijikata slid away from them without another word, looking grim and dangerous.

Yamanami followed after him, also peeking in and asking sheepishly if anyone had seen Jaden. She popped her head out from under the engawa. "Sannan-san, you don't look so good."

"Really?" he pointed to his own tired and pale face questioningly, attempting a smile.

"Yamanami-san, I may have told Hijikata-san that you sent Takoda-san out on some errands, so if he comes looking... Well in any case, I'm with her and these other two for now."

"Oh, I see." He nodded, but looked a little suspicious. "Ito-san, what exactly are you three talking--"

"It's nothing of that nature, Yamanami-san." He sat up straight and gave a reassuring smile. "Actually, they're trying to pursuade _me_ of something."

"Oh...well, thank you." He bowed and shuffled away, probably off to bed.

Jaden hadn't liked Ito ever since the moment he opened his mouth, but now she became even more distrustful of him--she was sure Yamanami's recent paleness and weakness had something to do with him, and their conversation hadn't made any sense, either. "Ito-san, what was he--"

"Okay, coast is clear. Shame on you for skipping out on your duties just to pick on Christians."

Jaden shot him a look, only her green eyes visible over the engawa in case she had to duck back down quickly. She let go of her worries for the moment. "Do you want to do it, or not?" she asked impatiently. "It's something we have to do tomorrow night, so..."

"Well of course I'll accept." He laughed softly. "Theater is quite beautiful, even in the form of a prank. And since Todo-kun requested it, I'll be sure to make things convincing. But...what exactly am I expected to wear?"

Heisuke nudged Imari, and she went on as if this were a planned cue. "Well, sir, I think we could get away with Japanese attire, but you should wear white to look Saintly and all."

"Not a problem there."

"And Sinterklaas rides a white horse."

Ito nodded. The Shinsengumi had a small handful of horses for when the leaders went to meetings with big Shogunate officials, or for catching far-away deserters. Since Ito was Military Advisor of the Shisnengumi, it wouldn't be too hard to get his hands on a mostly-white specimen.

"And then there's Black Peter, who dresses like a devil and rides along with Sinterklaas."

There, the ideas came to a temporary halt.

--

"Yay! Yay! Sinterklaas comes tonight!" Itaru sang, jumping around the main hall of his mansion, which was decorated with pine wreaths and colored lanterns and bright, shiny bulbs on long strings of tinsel. There was no tree, but the spirit really was there, so Roden didn't even bring it up. Sara had put up all the decorations the night before, after abandoning Roden with the questioning Itaru. Ama-chan was actually childishly impressed with all the color and lights, and the pine scent seemed to be making Daisuke ill. All was well with the world. He had sugar cookies hidden in his room, and everyone else seemed to be hiding things as well. He anticipated the next morning.

"I though you said he found out Sinterklaas wasn't real," Sara said, watching Itaru bounce around in his red sleeping yukata.

Roden smiled. "Sara Mann, Sinterklaas _is_ real."

She looked at him carefully, narrowing her brown eyes. "Itaru is pretending to be him this year, isn't he? Is that the big plan? How stupid."

"I hate you, kunoichi." If she'd figured it out, there was no point in going on with the game.

She smiled and winked. "No worries. I'll play along and everything. For Itaru." She turned to the boy. "Hey, Itaru! Do you wanna put our shoes out now?"

"Yeah! Let's put out nice shoes, okay?'

She smiled and nodded and went to the kitchen, returning soon after with carrots. "Let's go, everyone."

They went out the front door in a neat line, with Itaru in the lead, Sara behind him, a still-smiling Ama-chan next, and Roden in the back, grabbing their shoes as they passed and going out into the snow barefoot. They left footprints as they set their shoes down in the snow by the big doors. Ama-chan left her new boots--tipped on their sides--and Roden left a pair of worn zouri. Itaru had some pricey-looking Western dress shoes, and Sara, strangely, left her ninja-tabi, with the pockets on the sides and split-toes. She passed two carrots to them all, which they shoved inside the shoes with little trouble, and then went back inside.

"I can't wait for tomorrow!" Ama-chan said happily, running around the main hall with more energy that she'd ever before possessed. "Yay!"

"Careful, Ama-chan."

Itaru popped out of nowhere with soba noodles, passing them each a bowl. "Here guys. And Merry Christmas!"

They split their chopsticks and ate probably one of the cheapest and best meals they had ever eaten in the Outa House. Smiling and throwing noodles, they actually made quite bit of mess, but it wasn't long before Sara and Ama-chan nodded off onto the table.

Itaru stood and smiled. "Shhh. We'll clean tomorrow, Roden. I'm going to go fill their shoes."

"Hey, Itaru. What about Rai?"

"Oh, she's never really liked celebrations of any sort, so..." He smiled again, rubbing the back of his head, and tiptoed out the main doors.

Despite himself, Roden picked up the dirty soba bowls and toted them to the kitchen, dropping them carefully into a tub of dishwater. It wasn't a hassle--he _liked_ being in the Outa house. He liked Itaru and Ama-chan and maybe even Sara. He liked_ Christmas_. All these things he'd forgotten about were coming back, here in the Outa House.

Itaru squealed, and he ran to the door through instinct. He was pointing. "Roden! Sara! It's--It's Sinterklaas!"

Sara had apparently only been pretending to sleep, and sighed. "Itaru, I didn't think you would go_ this_ far..."

Ama-chan was up and at the door, rubbing her eyes. "Sara-neechan," she said, "It's true. Sinterklaas is here!" She woke up immediately and ran into the snow.

Sara frowned, but stood up and walked to the doors with Roden, peeking outside and rubbing at her arms. "Itaru, it's cold--"

And Sinterklaas stood there, just as Itaru and Ama-chan had said, and just as Sara had described him the day before. He was tall and slim and glowing in the falling snow, with his white hakama and haori, embroidered with gleaming gold threads. He had glasses and a long white beard and a rice farmer's hat, and he was sitting atop a mostly-white horse smiling. Behind him sat a mopey-looking youth in a black yukata, with black dust on his face. He was holding a small sack.

"Yes, it is I, Sinterklaas!"

Heisuke, Jaden, and Imari stooped behind a nearby tree. The more experienced two were masking their ki as well as they could, but Imari had forgotten, and Roden soon quietly discovered them. He frowned but didn't alert the others.

"I'm here to leave you your Christmas gifts, my children." Ito was doing fantastically, smiling with his arms wide open as if he were beckoning to the Choshu, drawing them into a trap... "However..." He frowned and held a finger up, shaking it at them with disapproval. "I've heard that you four have caused quite a deal of trouble this year... Bombs, guns, stabbings... Goodness, why did I even bother to stop?"

"Sir," his brother, Miki, piped from behind him solemnly, less than pleased to have been involved. He held up the sack. "The coal."

"Oooh, that's right." He smiled charmingly and dismounted the horse with graceful ease, taking rocks from the sack in Miki's hands and striding towards the idealist group.

"But that was all for the good of Japan, for the Emperor," Itaru said innocently, looking heartbroken. Ito stopped.

"Shit," Jaden sighed. "I guess we should have anticipated this..."

"There are better ways to support the Emperor, silly boy," Ito said, habitually pulling a fan from his sleeve and putting it to his lips. "You Choshu really are just stupid barbarians... And to welcome foreigners into the country..." His eyes ran over Sara. "This is unforgivable. Coal for you all! Oh, except the little girl." He drew closer and patted Ama-chan on the head and offered her his fan. "You're just an ignorant child, aren't you?"

She had been looking sad and slowly but hopefully moving towards the horse and the sack, but now that he was close, Ama-chan suddenly frowned and crossed stomped her bare foot on the snow in a very Sara-like way. "I _hate _Shinsengumi!" she shrieked, and jumped for Ito's fake beard. She caught hold and pulled it off.

Even the snow seemed to halt for those few quick seconds. Itaru tilted his head, Sara ground her teeth, Roden rolled his eyes, and the three hiding in the bushes waited anxiously for everybody's next move. The horse was the first to act--he moved to the steps and ate the carrots left in the shoes, along with Roden's sandal.

Then, "Foolish idealists, I _am _Sinterklaas! And now you get nothing! Not even rocks!" He discarded the beard and snatched his fan back from Ama-chan. "Silly child, you were almost lucky enough to have the favorite fan of Ito Kashitaro," he sneered, sticking it back in his sleeve.

"Ito Kashitaro, huh?" Roden said, smiling a little.

Ito turned his nose up at them and mounted the horse again, arms crossed. "Miki, you steer the animal. Todo, Takoda...what a stupid idea..." They left. Jaden, Heisuke, and Imari dejectedly came out of the bushes, the former two kicking at the bushes.

"This was a waste of a day off..."

"Yeah. Let's go back to Headquarters and find something to eat." The two wandered slowly away without acknowledging the frowning mass that was the residents of Outa House. Imari lingered behind, feeling the heaviness in her own haori sleeve.

She took an awkward step towards the four, then another, digging into her sleeve. She pushed past them, going to their shoes. She set a small Western book on top of Itaru's, a lacy ribbon in Sara's, and a piece of candy in Ama-chan's. She bowed to Roden.

"I was informed by Jaden-san that you don't like anything, so... But in any case, Merry Christmas." She stepped back a bit and bowed to them all. "Merry Christmas." Then she left.

She was halfway down the street when Itaru looked up at them all. "I didn't...get her anything... AH! Imari, how can you be so casual and cool about this! Come back! COME BACK!"

Roden had to restrain him. "Wow," Sara muttered. "That was...weird... Man, what a brat. I'm going to bed." She went inside.

"Come on, Ama-chan, time for bed."

"But I'm not tired..."

Soon only Itaru was standing outside in the snow, dumbfounded and frowning. Soft and fluffy snowflakes were gathering in his bangs, sticking there and making his face cold. "I...Imari?" he asked the cold winter air. "Wh-what was that? ...Well." He smiled and took everyone's shoes inside with their presents setting them just inside the doors. "Merry Christmas, Ima-chan."

--

The next morning, they exchanged their "surprises," as the Dutch called them, before anything else. Roden's cookies went over a little too well, and it was not more than fifteen minutes into the morning that the other three were feeling overly full and a little sick. Sara's gifts were actually quite impressive--the only hint that she had just bought them several nights ago was that Ama-chan's gift was a pale and pretty porcelain doll. (Despite what she had told Jaden, she didn't actually have _any _dolls.) Sara showed her how it moved, while Roden and Itaru restrained from commenting on the fact that it was dressed up like a high-class prostitute. She gave Itaru bullets for his Colt--which seemed a little macabre for Christmas--and a new dress shirt in purple. When it came to Roden's gift, she gave him a hard stare, as if to say, "It's just for the sake of holiday spirit."

"You know, you're hard to get things for. You don't really_ like_ anything... I really had to think, so..." She held out two little rectangles of paper.

"Play tickets? Well, thanks, but why two?" He hoped that she had not resorted back to teasing him with Rai.

Sara smiled. "Well, do you know what play it's for?"

He looked down at the tickets--they were for Chushingura, the play that the Shinsengumi stole their gaudy-striped haori design from. Jaden. How very clever--he supposed he talked about her a lot, and hoped that she talked about him a little. She would come with him. He smiled back. "Yeah. I think I do know someone who likes Chushingura."

Working with only a few hours and two ryo, Itaru had done an impressive job too. As it was, Ama-chan now had two dolls (except, the one from Itaru was Western-styled, blonde, and not a whore), and Sara now had a silver necklace with a pretty little rose on it. Somehow, he must have also magically predicted that the Shinsengumi's horse would eat one of Roden's sandals, as he presented to him a new pair of zouri with black strings to lace them up, and a black parasol.

He shrugged. "Like Sara said, the only thing we know you like is black and--secretly--Jaden-san, so... Well, since you can come out in the daytime if you have a parasol, I thought that'd be good, since you probably don't like Sara's pink one..."

"Thank you. I don't really want to be barefoot, so..." He patted Itaru's head.

Daisuke came downstairs and scowled at them, then they ate a big breakfast. After stuffing themselves again, Itaru ran up to his room. He returned well-dressed and with a small music box.

"Ima-chan left it here--I understand now that it would have been a burden to carry it with her... So, I'm off to Shinsengumi Headquarters."

Roden put his parasol and new shoes to good use, as he wouldn't let Itaru go there alone, and once at the gates asked the guards to retrieve both Imari and Jaden. He presented her with one of the tickets while Imari and Itaru seemed to be...embracing. It looked like a nice, sentimental, twin thing, and he dragged Jaden away so that the two could at least enjoy that one moment of Christmas peace.

--

AN- It's hardly relevant, and just barely makes sense, but I couldn't help it. It was all these other Christmas stories around. Sorry if it's terrible, I really had to rush it to get it up by Christmas... Also, there was originally supposed to be a continuation, in which the residents of Outa House attempt to ruin the Shisnengumi's New Year, but... In any case, I hope you all enjoy. It's in Deccember while the current Shichi plotline isn't even yet in August, so there may be some things/people that could be confusing because you haven't been introduced to them yet... Then there was the fact that I researched Dutch Christmases, but not if I was in the right time period or anything. Sorry about inaccuracies or other annoyances, but I hope you like anyway. HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!


	17. July

Chapter Sixteen: July

"Fire."

Itaru's answer was a little too quick. Everyone but Rai, Roden, and another young man looked away from him awkwardly.

"Outa-kun," the young man said flatly, frowning a little and crossing his arms. His hair was cut short and neat. "We can't. We can't get the citizens on our side if we use them to send a message to the Bakufu. They're not_ that_ stupid, and when they figure out it was us who burned down their homes, they're not going to support us. Besides, setting fire to things is still arson no matter what noble things are driving it. Can't you think of something a little more sophisticated?"

"You mean assassination, don't you, Kuromi-kun?" Itaru replied, smiling at the other man and interlacing his fingers once again. "While a little more bushido-based, murder is no prettier than arson. And I never suggested burning villages. We should strike the Bakufu directly--at a jail or a compound of their soldiers."

"But the Sonno Joi already tried fire. Ikedaya, remember?" Sakamoto put in sternly from the table head. "The Wolves of Mibu cut down everyone there."

"We just need to plan better, then," someone else said. "Or we could just continue to focus on the Navy..."

"It's not getting us anywhere." Itaru snapped, leaning his head on his palm, frustrated. "Even if we don't go through with fire, we still have to do _something._ I'm sick of idling. It's so stupid."

Underneath the table, Rai put her hand over his. His shoulders loosened up and he went on more calmly, but _she_ looked at Roden with a look that the vampire didn't understand and brushed off, trying to pretend to be interested in the rebels' talk. Minutes later, she sighed and leaned her head back, exposing her pale neck. Oume actually seemed to be interested in the conversation and didn't notice. Rai again grasped at Itaru's hand and glanced over to Roden.

_Oh_. Now he saw it; she was asking if he was jealous. He smiled and shrugged at her subtly, shaking his head. She actually frowned, giving him a scornful look before diverting her attention elsewhere. He heard Sara Mann's cruel laughter and spotted her in the rickety window opposite of them, smiling evilly. She disappeared soon after.

"Right, Ayano-chan?" Oume said out of nowhere.

"I agree with Itaru-san," Rai answered flawlessly, turning back to the group. "People can't come to us if they don't know that we exist."

Oume shot Rai a sidelong look of contempt--apparently she had just disagreed with her--and sighed. "Ayano-chan, you're hopeless. You only ever agree with Itaru-san."

"I'm always right. I only agree with him when _he's_ right." She looked up at them all with empty eyes. "Don't mistake me for a stupid woman. What do _you_ think, Roden-kun?"

"Huh?" Oh, what an intelligent answer. He had expected neither the women nor he would be expected to put their comments in the meeting, but was apparently wrong. Sakamoto and his followers waited patiently for him to go on. "Don't do anything too rash," he suggested. "I see what Itaru is saying, but you might accidentally make more enemies than friends. Gather up people loyal to your cause, in quality first, then focus on numbers."

"But Roden..." Itaru trailed off.

"Wise words," Sakamoto agreed. "All of you, I mean. Your patriotism is truly inspiring. Alas, we still need to come to a decision. I hate to see you torn, so can't we think of a compromise? Under no conditions will I completely stop work on our navy to focus on something else, but..."

"Sakamoto-san, we should continue to stand," Itaru's earlier rival said before the other young man could speak. "At least until we come up with something better. Itaru-kun, you're a little too anxious for a fight. We should think this through before making a choice on our next movement. We all have other things to do in the meantime."

"Ah, yes. Kuromi-kun here is working on the Satsuma-Choshu alliance with Sakamoto-san," the pretty geisha sitting by him said, smiling and watching Rai carefully.

"I don't _care_," Rai told her emotionlessly as Itaru stiffened up jealously.

"Ayano-chan, don't be so rude! You really have no manners!" Oume gasped, though Roden got the distinct impression that she wasn't a fan of this other geisha either.

"Well, keep up the research, Itaru-kun," the man said teasingly. "You're important too, you know."

"Sakamoto-san,_ I_ should be--" Itaru stopped himself and nodded his head in a short bow. His glasses fell off and he scrambled to catch them as more of the room laughed. "Never mind."

Sakamoto seemed to pity the boy and took over quickly, standing up and stretching. "Well Itaru is right about freeing this country, in any case—and I'm sure our American friend Roden sees the Japan's sorry state more than any of us. I will take into consideration all of your suggestions... Of course looking at everything now, it seems simple. We _should _strike at the evil and corrupt Bakufu--but not at the innocent people. The Shinsengumi destroyed the fire planned by Choshu last month. Therefore..." He motioned for someone to fill in the blanks.

Itaru jumped at the chance, as sharp as ever. "Therefore..." he said slowly, "we have to strike the_ Shinsengumi_."

"Does that sound appropriate to everyone?"

Surprisingly, even the man who had argued with Itaru earlier agreed vigorously, and Roden was reminded again of how much nearly everyone hated the Shinsengumi.

"Then, Itaru-kun," Sakamoto continued, pointing dramatically, "Your newest task is to find a weakness in the ranks of the Mibu-ro."

"W-weakness, sir?"

"Right! A poor soldier, a way to lower morale, internal strife...something like that. Don't slack on your research and diplomacy with the Sonno-Joi and Western Nations in the meantime. We'll be counting on you! Well, then, I guess the meeting is dismissed."

Itaru perked up right away and the Kuromi boy and his geisha stood to leave grudgingly, bowing fully to the rest of the room and quickly stalking out the door after lighting a lantern. Others started to follow suit, but when Itaru made a move to get up, Sakamoto asked that he hold up for a few minutes. Oume and Rai stood and bowed soon after, understanding that it wasn't necessary to stay further. To the horror of the older geisha, Itaru hugged Rai (a gesture that she barely returned) and spoke softly into her ear. Roden tried not to listen in, but his vampire senses caught the whole thing. "You save me, Rai," he said, smiling honestly. "You are my strength and my encouragement. Never forget that I work only for you and Japan. Every day. I'll see you again soon."

And then, something amazing happened. Her eyes cleared. Her mouth was still shut tight, but she was_ definitely_ smiling. _Rai was smiling_, at least until Itaru released her and her hands and turned back to Sakamoto. Oume hurried her apprentice away quickly after that.

"I know it took a while," the former said apologetically, reaching into his yukata and searching about the belt. "I'll have to apologize for that one."

"Oh, no trouble at all, sir." Itaru was excited, grinning.

Sakamoto pulled a gleaming pistol from his belt and held it up to the overhead light briefly. "Here ya go, kiddo. A Colt Single-Action Army Revolver straight from the American Civil War. Never used, of course, but you know... How do you like it?"

"It's great, Sakamoto-san, thank you! I'll definitely be able to fight now that--"

"But hey, kiddo?"

"Yes, sir?"

"The sword is still the soul of the samurai," he sighed, putting a big hand on Itaru's shoulder. "No one's going to object you learning kenjutsu, either... As great as modernization is, there are some noble traditions here that should be upheld. Save yourself some criticism and at least carry a sword."

Itaru's fingers danced warmly over the revolver and he frowned. "Sorry, but that's just not me, sir. Don't you think I would look stupid with a katana?"

"Well... I thought that having that firearm in your hand...actually holding it would make you reconsider the thought. That's a powerful little thing, Ita-kun."

He just smiled reassuringly and bowed low. "Thank you, Sakamoto-san. I appreciate the gun, and I will consider your words. And also, I'll look into the weaknesses of the Shinsengumi right away. Come on, Roden."

Roden started to bow, but Sakamoto cut in again, frowning sternly as he bent down to lace up his straw zouri. "All right. You're a good man Itaru-kun, so I'll trust you with it and let you keep it." Roden made a mental note to ask Itaru about his age later, watching Sakamoto ruffle Itaru's hair despite calling him a man and trusting him with a gun. "But be careful. It's a lot easier to kill with that thing than it is with a sword. You just...aim and pull." He made this motion, pointing at Itaru, who paled a little but kept smiling. "Someday that thing might be pointing at someone you really care about, and you won't be able to stop it."

"Well, why would I point it at someone I cared about?" he asked as he stuck the gleaming revolver into his yukata folds. "Thank you for everything again, sir." This time they exchanged a firm handshake, and Itaru left with Roden in tow. Sara hopped down after them.

"Let me see it."

"Not here."

Roden glanced down at them, Itaru smug and Sara angry at the denial. "The sword_ is_ more honorable, you know," he said quietly, sobering Itaru quickly.

Sara snorted. "No murder weapon is any nobler than another, considering they all share the same job. _You _are a moron." She pushed some hair from her face, only to have it fall right back in place as she took the gas lamp from Itaru.

"You did good back there, you know. Why were you so nervous?" Roden asked, moving on to another subject.

"Rai helped," he admitted. Sara shot Roden a conspicuous glance, and Itaru looked back and forth between the two desperately. "_What_?"

"Nothing."

"Roden and Rai-chan were having some weird silent conversation throughout the meeting," Sara said quickly and eagerly, grinning widely like a happy little brat-child-tattletale.

Itaru remained unsuspicious and said, "Mm," calmly, taking out the Colt and examining it again. "Good, I'm glad Rai is getting along with Roden. Unlike you, Sara. Now, what do you fancy is the weakness in the Shinsengumi?"

Sara watched Roden carefully as he said immediately, "That's not something you can just come up with right away. Sadly, they're quite well rounded, what with the Demon and the Saint."_ And their new vampiress-lackey._

_"_Right. Sara, do you want to--"

"I _won't _help you with it," she said coldly, suddenly stalking ahead a few paces, arms crossed. "Don't even ask me."

They watched her quietly, confused and in the darkness now. Then, "I could help..."

"How?"

"Remember that master of mine that you wouldn't like?" Roden asked carefully. "She's sort of..._buddies_ with the Mibu-ro. We could casually talk to her." Sara looked back at him quickly while Itaru put the gun away and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well...that is, I do appreciate the offer, but..." He paused, looking hopeful that Roden might finish on his own. To no avail. "I feel guilty making you betray your master. It's not right."

Roden looked away guiltily. All in all, that _was_ really what he was offering to do. And Jaden may have found some new, bloodthirsty pals, but that wasn't exactly a good enough excuse to use her--something he had wanted to prevent all along. Having at least gotten over Rai, he acknowledged that he was jealous. Jaden usually paid no mind to those other than him and Sakura, so splitting attention was a little strange. And yet, he now had Itaru as a friend, and Sara as... Well, she was an enigma to him, but she was still _there_ as some form or another of company.

"It's okay. It'll all be real casual. Nothing dirty. She likes talking a little too much, so it shouldn't be too long before something slips..." Sara gave him another look from over her shoulder, and he couldn't help but throw a rock at her back when she faced forward again. (She ignored it.) "Hey, Itaru, how old are you?"

"Twenty, and two minutes older than Imari. And you?"

Well, he didn't exactly act it, but Roden took his word. "Um, that is... I don't remember my age," he replied. "But going by looks, what would you say?"

"By looks, my age. By mannerisms, you're an old man." He glanced upward at Roden sternly. Then, he jumped up on his back in a terrifyingly Jaden-esque motion, hanging there without much effort at all—as Roden's reflexes had forced him to put his hands back and cradle Itaru so that he didn't fall. "Hahaha, just kidding!"

Sara looked back again. "You look like a couple of queers."

"Yeah, but you look like a nice, proper lady. Appearances can be deceiving."

"You two... So mean..."

The first few weeks of July passed quickly. Roden grew homier and homier at the Outa House, picking up the daily and/or nightly routines of Itaru, Sara, and Daisuke and finding just where he fit into them. Since coming that first night, he had learned how to terrorize Daisuke, and how to tell when Sara was in a foul mood and how to avoid her. Punitively, he didn't think he spent more than three minutes away from Itaru while awake, and that didn't bother him at all. Itaru's childishness, he found, was refreshing and fun. It was like getting a chance to re-live his stolen childhood, from ten to fifteen (as when he wasn't working, that was the age range that Itaru best personified). Itaru was his rich friend whose parents were awkward to be around and who's older sister (Sara) was normally mean but sometimes indulged in games.

The only time Roden had seen Rai within this time span of fun and games hadn't turned out well for anyone. It was a hot summer night, and he had Itaru had gone to Gion once the sun set purely to visit with her (and Oume). About an hour into the fun, they had gone outside to see the lingering fireflies that were still alive from the earlier season. It had gone well because he had ignored her frustrated looks and done some light flirting with one of the lowly serving girls. It had gone not so well because Itaru had started a bug-smooshing fight and encouraged him to smash one of the yellow bugs into Rai's nice blue kimono. (He did.) Neither one could really understand why she had gotten so angry, but thought it best to leave at that point. Sara laughed whole-heartedly when they told her about it.

Sara, too, was becoming less of a mystery. She had explained to him how exactly her romps in Shimabara worked--the brothel she worked at was decidedly Anti-Bakufu, so they allowed her to work as she pleased, wheedling information from pro-Shogunate men and reporting it to them, who reported it to Choshu factions. In return, she came and went basically whenever she wanted to, and the manager came up with excuses for her when she wasn't around. Piano really was her only hobby, it seemed, as she was constantly playing and perfecting her Beethoven. There really seemed to be no reason behind her moodiness, just that it was simply how she was. Roden secretly accepted her, but still teased her. She was a completely different creature than Jaden (more sophisticated and stylish, for sure), but somehow arguing with her was just as fun.

Itaru's father was an aloof gentleman who Roden rarely saw, though he had the chance to figure out that Daisuke was to him as Sara was to his son--a sulky and shadowy protector-cum-assassin. He looked and acted nothing like Itaru, and also never brought up his daughter. The man seemed to be indifferent towards his son's antics and spending, though would sometimes give him a stern look that may have been urging him to get married and leave. Roden asked Itaru about this once.

"Oh, yeah," he had replied, smiling as they ate mochi and ice cream together. "But you're only half right. He's fine with me living in the house--I'm going to inherit it someday, anyway. But he thinks I should get a nice little wife and leave Rai in the okiya, and just visit her from time to time. But my plan now is to buy Rai's freedom and marry her. I promised her...six years ago."

"Six years?"

"Oh, we've known each other for much longer than that. We're childhood friends--we grew up here in Kyoto."

"No, I mean..." he hesitated, not knowing if it was polite. "After five years, you still didn't have enough money to..."

Itaru laughed, to his relief. "Oh, goodness no. The original price that a geisha is bought at is quite a hefty sum, and the fee itself is constantly growing. In addition to the original price, fees for food, lodging, and all kinds of lessons just start popping up. Then we got involved with the loyalist faction... All in all, I can never give up. Rai was my best friend back then, and I owe it to her. I think Imari resented that I played with Rai more than her..."

Roden frowned, finishing the mochi up and stretching. "Hey," he began, "how did Rai end up as a geisha, anyway? You would know that, since you were friends, right?"

He flushed and looked away, standing up and starting to wander elsewhere. "That's..." Avoiding Roden's gaze, he went on through the Kyoto marketplace, still lively even after dark. "That's... It's really just all my fault... I hope you won't hate me for this, Roden." He bit his lip. "When I turned fifteen, I left home to study in Edo. It was my first time away all alone and I was nervous... Imari sent me off with dumplings, I remember. It was winter, and I was in Edo for a little over a month. I had known her parents were in poor health, but I went anyway, and when I returned to Kyoto... When I returned, I found out that her parents had both died, and that she had been sold to the okiya. And that my father—_and Imari_—had done nothing to stop it. They had known it was happening, and we could have easily taken her in, but they let Rai be sold into slavery without even sending me a letter about it..."

"Itaru...that's not your fault at all, so--"

He whirled on Roden, almost looking angry. "No! It _is _my fault. I shouldn't have gone to Edo when I knew both of her parents were so ill. There's no laying the blame on my father, because he... Well, Rai was the daughter of a samurai, but not quite as well-off as us, so he never... I couldn't expect him to take her in when conflicts were brewing with the loyalists. And Imari...I can't blame her because she really is a_ worthless_ and _incapable _thing. It's my entire fault."

Roden suspected, along with Rai's origins, he now knew when and why the Outa twins had began growing apart. Though, of the other things he'd heard of Imari, he knew she wasn't a weak or stupid girl. Perhaps she_ had_ tried to make their father adopt Rai. Trying, though, obviously didn't help Rai or Itaru at all... Or maybe she was much more jealous of Rai than Itaru thought, and she had let Rai go to get her brother back.

Roden patted his companion's head, deciding not to question him any further. "Don't be so hard on yourself. I still don't think it's your fault, but...you're doing fine with making amends either way. You've taken responsibility and you're sticking with it. It's admirable."

"You really think so, Roden?"

"Of course."

"Thank you." He smiled at Roden and ran a hand through his hair, embarrassed. His dark roots were starting to show, the deceptive blonde fading away slowly.

"You're not going to do you hair again?" Roden asked, feeling utterly childish and very good as he purposely stepped in a mud puddle and splashed his companion.

"Nah. It's going to fall out if I do it too much. You just happened to meet me when I had it done. Hey, Roden, do you have a woman that you love?"

"Hm?"

"I mean, I have Rai, so it seems a little unfair," he laughed. "You seem to be quite the ladies man, but still you're technically alone, right? Isn't there a woman who you loved more than any of the others? You live a free life and don't have to get married and have children in order to inherit something, but…"

"Man, using the word 'love' so seriously like that," Roden complained, stretching. He didn't feel strange opening up to Itaru, and smiled thoughtfully. "In truth…there have been only three women who I've loved at all. The first was my mother, Alice Sawyer, and the second is Hiroshi Sakura. But the woman I love the most is the one I get frustrated with and hate half of the time. I know it's not the kind of love you're talking about, but… Jaden is my master and my amusement, my big sister and my biggest enemy. I'm glad, though, because I've extended my borders and I now have you and Sara as well."

"Sara… Really?"

"Sure. She's irritable and likes to hit me, like Jaden, so it's natural. And they're both half-Dutch and half-Japanese. It's weird."

"As long as we're talking about these things... how did you end up with your master?" Itaru asked sheepishly, poking his fingers together as they re-entered the gate of the Outa Estate.

Roden felt himself frown. In truth, he had met Jaden in the middle of the Revolutionary war, as he was being chased by American troops. He'd had a sword, but they'd had guns and it was hopeless…and then she came and saved him, held out her katana and said, "Well of course you couldn't win, you're using that stupid Western fencing sword._ This_ is the soul of the warrior." Then she'd stolen his clothes and run away. Several days later his mother was killed, and Jaden returned like a black angel asking if he'd like to come to Japan and become a samurai. He wasn't sure how to lie or if to lie and how to condense it all for Itaru.

"She…" he began slowly, rubbing his head. "She offered to care for me when no one else would. I was ten, and my parents were dead, but I had to go along with her rules until I was old enough to fend for myself. But when that time came, our roles were just suddenly reversed and I felt like I was taking care of her. I was suckered into this long lifetime of servitude to a kitsune… Man, I'm just a sucker for bitchy women, I guess."

"But you get a break now. Are you enjoying it?"

"Of course, and I trust that Yamanami Keisuke will take over for me for a little bit. You do need to meet her, Itaru. She'll let us know all about the Shinsengumi's weaknesses."

He smiled. "I still feel strange about that…"

They went inside and hung around Sara's piano the rest of the night, as they often did while she was out, imitating her and playing horridly. And when she returned she was angry until they gave her dumplings they had bought while out, and this whole routine was repetitive and heavenly.

Meanwhile, the Shinsengumi had been having equally peaceful days, patrolling without much incident and eating watermelon nearly three times a week. Jaden's hair had been dealt with within a few days, and her raven locks now only reached her shoulder blades. Heisuke and Imari had found her especially impossible to deal with shortly after, and left her alone to mourn for a few days. After this, their plans continued as...well, as had been planned (in actuality, they had no plans).

Imari's sword lessons were not going terribly well. She was smart, but truly and honestly, she was _weak_. Jaden wondered (but didn't ask aloud) how she had managed to get into the Shinsengumi in the first place--then remembered Hijikata saying before that Souji had assured him of Imari's potential. The potential was there, but she got so...discouraged. Itaru was a young man who could work himself out of a bad situation and turn himself gleeful--she had seen him do it--but Imari was apparently a bit prone to sulking. Jaden and Heisuke had attempted to create a reward-system for her, but all of their ideas thus far had been a failure. (This included food, candy, new clothes, and attempted kisses.)

"Please don't joke. I'm a samurai, so don't try and bribe me," she had sighed one starry night as she and Jaden practiced alone in the dojo. "And I'm an unmarried lady, so kissing me is completely inappropriate."

"But, Ima-chan...We're not making any progress here. Can't you try harder?"

"I_ am_ trying!" She plopped to the ground and looked away, insulted. "Anyway, it's easy for Todo-sensei and you. You've been practicing kenjutsu your whole life. Before coming here, I'd only held a practice sword—and only three times. In secret."

"I know...but Roden was a really fast learner, so it's been a while since I've had to deal with a student like you. But I'm going really easy on you!"

"Easy?!"

"Well, yeah..." She smacked the bamboo practice sword against her hands a few times.

"Jaden-san, how many students have you had?" Imari asked. She kept her voice low and boyish just in case anyone walked in on them. "I mean, you talk about Roden-san and mention others, but I can't keep track."

The older woman smiled and leaned on the open shoji, looking out at the splatter of stars. "Man, neither do I. I don't even remember all of their names, I don't think. All the others just left me though, so I really only need to remember Roden."

"Jaden-san, that's terrible." Imari moved to the edge of the engawa and sat down, abandoning her bamboo sword halfway there. "I mean, I wonder if you'll remember me when all of this is over."

"Of course I will. You're the only girl."

"Really?"

"Well, there may have been one... But you're definitely way cuter!" She hugged Imari from the side as they sat next to one another. "If I do this when Hei-kun is around, he gets jealous," she explained laughingly.

Imari had experienced enough of this from both Jaden and Heisuke by then to not react to it too much. She felt color rise in her cheeks and remained completely stationary, as if this would trick the little woman curled around her into leaving. "Isn't it a little inappropriate all around?" she questioned stiffly.

"It might be if you were a girl. But you're a young man, right? Hey, I guess if you're a young man you should be visiting Shimabara and looking at erotic art."

"No!" she squealed. "That's you!"

Jaden released her, frowning. "Hey now, let's not perpetuate that whole incident. People are thinking weird things about me now..."

About a week earlier, there had been an incident involving Jaden and an attempt to hide Captain Harada's pornography collection from Hijikata as a favor. It hadn't ended well—Harada got off the hook because Jaden was able to convince the Vice-Commander that they were actually hers. A lot of the newer members refused to talk to her, and Hijikata kept making snide _comments._

As the two women thought back to the incident, Imari laughed out loud and stood up. Jaden grimaced. "That man... God, he really brings out the worst of me," she mused, biting at her bottom lip. "Hate him, hate him, and hate him."

Imari gathered that they were done for the night and took off her breastplate and hachigane, wearing her cute little frown. "I apologize if I'm going too far here, but I'm not stupid, Jaden-san," she began, putting the practice swords back up on their racks. "Officially, Okita-sensei is the best swordsman in the Shinsengumi, because officially you don't exist. And you're not a normal soldier either way--I've figured out where you get your orders from. What I don't understand is why you would take orders from someone you dislike so strongly."

"To a certain extent, you take orders from him as well," Jaden reminded her, twirling her hair around her fingers. "And you hate him too, so what's your answer?"

"Ah, I don't..."

"Imari-chan..."

"He's a good leader, Jaden-san. He can make people listen to him and manipulate people. And he can make tough decisions and hold strong on them. Plus, he's really handsome."

"Imari-chan..." Despite the immediate protests that came to her mind, she stopped short and rubbed her neck. "Manipulate people, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. I met a lot of people like that in my life as an Outa... So I can tell now. Meeting people in the upper class... They're all educated and well-mannered, but a lot of them were underhanded. I know I was reluctant to accept everyone here at first because of their crudeness, but I have to admit that I've come to admire everyone's honesty." She smiled. "You know how they feel and what they want because they all just tell you, truthfully. Even if it's something stupid like, 'I'm upset because I didn't get any candy today,' or something serious like, 'Ima-chan, you need to try harder because we're not making any progress,' I'm just glad I don't have to do the extra thinking and wonder if anyone is lying to me. Still, Hijikata-san has the shrewdness and cleverness that we need to maintain a working army."

"You don't think...that I'm easy to manipulate, do you, Ima-chan?" She thought of her bribe, her soul: the katana that was tucked away in her closet. She had used it twice now, while patrolling with the first unit, and had taken out a good number of Choshu. She now wondered if they had been friends with Itaru, or even Imari.

"You, Jaden-san? Oh yeah, sure, you're _totally _easy to manipulate," she replied sarcastically. "What a dumb question."

Still a little unsure, Jaden sighed. Suddenly she wanted to see Roden, just to argue with him. Presented with the same question, he would have said, "Of course you're easy to manipulate. Just take a look at your life." Imari just didn't know her that well. "So what else about my orders?" she asked suddenly, curious as to how much the girl had figured out.

"Well, you also obey Yamanami-san, I think?" She said it more as a question than a statement, and smiled a little when Jaden nodded to confirm the fact. "That's nice. Yamanami-san is surely good to get orders from."

"Hi, Sannan-san."

Imari peeked over her shoulder and jumped when she saw Yamanami, looking at Jaden from around her. "Yamanami-san! Hello!" she quipped nervously.

He blinked and looked at her critically. "Outa Imari-san, right?"

"Yes, sir."

He looked back to Jaden. "Jaden-san, don't you have a boyfriend already?"

"But Ima-chan is cuter…" she replied guiltily.

"Why don't you go see him?"

"Yay! Really, Sannan-san?" She clapped her hands together and tilted her head, smiling widely. "This is why you're my favorite, telling me to do things like go see my darling Hoshijiro. Plus, that Toshizou is just—"

Yamanami wagged a finger at her. "Ah-ah. Let's not start on that one, okay? Toshizou-kun works very hard—"

"To make my life hell."

"Right, right, I haven't heard that before. By the way, I feel a little under the weather so I'm going to bed. Good night, you two."

"Get better, Sannan-san!" Jaden waved him off. "Yay, I get to go see Hoshijiro," she sang, turning to Imari after. "Go to bed, Ima-chan. It's late for you, and word has it that Choshu is sending troops to Kyoto, so get some rest. You my get your first taste of some real action soon."

"Huh? Really?" She seemed frightened.

"Yeah, but the Bakufu seems to have it all under control. Don't worry too much about it."

--

A/N- Hm. About time. I'm tired and don't have much to say here… I don't even really remember what's in this chapter… Sorry. I'm going to bed~


	18. Through the Lookng Glass

Not really AU. Born from the song "Waka Laka" and Ouran High School Host Club, this was written as a break from the Kinmon No Hen part of Shichi. It actually contains uber spoilers to Shichi, but only if you look for them. Based on the Disney movie version, because I've never read the book. Also, "funny mushrooms" are involved. Imari has become a druggie... That aside, this was written fairly quickly and with little thought. Not exactly my best writing, just a fun little thing. Don't mind its suckiness.

A/N: This became something like a filler to Shichi, but it could mark the end. The lack of reviews on the last few chapters has suggested little interest, so I'm thinking about putting this story on a hiatus or something. I don't want to give up completely, but still, if no one is reading, what's the point? So if anyone is still reading, please REVIEW.

The Great Filler: Through the Looking Glass

"Uh oh. The sun's coming out." Jaden stood; hand on her hip, looking at the gray clouds retreating from the October sky. She had hoped to spend the day with Heisuke before he had to return to Edo, and Imari was a welcome companion as well.

The other two looked up as well, tiredly. They had been napping under a tree. "Yeah, so it is," Heisuke confirmed, stretching and sitting up. The crown of flowers that Jaden had made for him fell off his head, and he touched at the scar on his forehead unconsciously.

Imari made no move to sit up. "Maybe we should head into the forest. If you're under trees you should be okay, right Jaden-san?"

"We could find blackberries!" Heisuke added, gung-ho for the idea.

"It's almost November, Todo-sensei."

"Still, we could get mushrooms," Jaden suggested, not too keen on returning to Shinsengumi Headquarters and facing Hijikata. He was sure to have noticed that she was MIA by now.

Imari glanced up at the pair, still sleepy and lethargic. She was bored lately. The addition of Ito Kashitaro and his group to the Shinsengumi could have proved interesting--he was teaching a lot of the men about poetry and literature, something she could identify with--but Jaden kept warning her against him. Despite the fact that he was a good guy and from the same school as Heisuke and Yamanami, she didn't seem too keen on Ito. Imari wanted to trust her, and obeyed her wishes.

Still, the result was utter boredom. She didn't exactly like conflict, but sitting around idly was worse, especially since her first taste of action at Kinmon No Hen. She sighed loudly.

"Ima-chan, don't be a snob. You've been so indifferent about everything lately." They were both standing up now, casting shadows over her. Heisuke extended a hand to help her to her feet.

"I just wish something exciting would happen, you know?" she admitted, standing and brushing off the back of her striped hakama.

"Nah, I like getting to stop and relax like this sometimes," Jaden said. She was wearing a kimono today, and looked pretty. The image was ruined when the bright sun came out from behind a cloud and struck her face, and she grimaced at it.

"I'm hungry..." Driving home the point, Heisuke's stomach gurgled unhappily. He kicked at some of the crunchy autumn leaves on the ground. "Let's go."

They didn't have much luck with their mushroom hunting, and an hour later were still starving--all three of them now. The sun had slunk back under a gray blanket of clouds, and Jaden hopped around energetically. "I want_ food_!" she yelled, sending crows flying off into the cool air.

"Why don't we just go back into Kyoto and get something? And in any case, why didn't we bring food along with us? Like a picnic..."

"Stop whining, Todo!" the vampire snapped, putting a finger to her lips and thinking. "Well... I could catch something to eat. How about that squirrel?" She pointed.

"Y-you monster!" animal-lover and vegetarian Todo Heisuke responded tearfully.

Imari, meanwhile, sighed at their theatrical bickering. Even that was getting old. Then, she saw them. Mushrooms that she could hardly believe the other two had missed--they were bright red with yellow spots, growing near a big old tree.

She glanced back over at the two--Jaden was trying to coax the little gray squirrel towards her. Heisuke was urging it to flee. Faced with this idiocy, she picked a smaller mushroom and ate it.

She felt dizzy. Jaden and Heisuke were looking at her, talking to her, and she couldn't hear them. She got down on her knees, hoping the world would stop spinning, but just passed out instead.

When she woke up, she was still in the forest, but Jaden and Heisuke were nowhere to be seen. She sat up, and was relieved to find that she felt fine and could hear the dry leaves crunch under her body. "What...What?"

In place of her hakama and blue gi was a little Western-styled dress with a white, frilly apron-like thing on the front. The rest of the dress was blue, and her thin, gangly legs were covered with white tights. Small black shoes with bows on them had replaced her zouri. She tried to run a hand through her hair, but found some sort of decorative piece in it. She scowled and blushed brightly--if any of the Shinsengumi saw her dressed like a girl, they would surely realize that she _was_ one. But more pressingly, she wondered who had changed her. She glanced around for her other clothes or a possible culprit.

What Imari saw was herself. But...now she was wearing something else. She was standing with her back...to herself, muttering worriedly, with ears that looked like a rabbit's protruding from her head. A small tail puffed out near her rear, and she was wearing a Western-styled suit and vest. She made a small noise, which startled her other self. It whirled around, holding a golden pocket watch in its hand, and she realized that it wasn't her.

"Itaru!" she called, before she could help herself. It had been months since she had spoken with her brother, and she felt that she should at least acknowledge him, even in this strange rabbit form. His hair had grown out and was now its natural color.

He blinked at her, then turned back to the pocket watch. His face quickly turned surprised and worried. "Oh, my fur and whiskers! I'm late!" Her twin bolted off through the trees.

Imari stood and chased after him, faster because of her life in the Shinsengumi. "Itaru!" she yelped angrily. "Hey, I'm trying to--"

"I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date. No time to say hello. Goodbye! I'm late, I'm late I'm late!"

"Itaru! What could you possible be--"

He suddenly disappeared down a colossal rabbit hole, and Imari had to press her heels hard into the ground to keep from falling in the darkness after him. She teetered on the edge of the hole and solid ground, sticking her arms straight out to help her regain balance. She stabilized and sighed with relief, turning around and wondering curiously why her stupid brother was now some sort of human-rabbit hybrid.

There stood the goddamn squirrel from earlier. Inexplicably, Imari felt herself smiling at it, and she knew what it was going to do before it even did it. It jumped on her, and she fell backwards into the hole wishing Jaden had killed it.

She hit the bottom of the hole after passing furniture and other unexplainable floating things on her way down, and looked around curiously once her head stopped spinning. She wasn't in a dank, muddy pit, but rather in a huge...jungle. Only it wasn't a jungle. It was a flower garden--one that rose high above her head. It gave the illusion of a giant-sized summertime, and Imari thought suddenly back to joining the Shinsengumi and being discovered by Jaden.

She noticed three of the flowers in particular, growing slightly away from the others. A handsome red rose as big as her head stood towering over her, serene and sophisticated despite its huge thorns. A ways away, a strange dull-purple iris seemed to be leaning towards the rose. It was unbelievably beautiful, yet depressing somehow. It looked out of place in the sunlight. Smack dab between the two was a bright and yellow pansy, shorter than Imari but still in the proportion of a human.

"My head hurts," Imari complained to them, turning away from them and sitting down on a rock. "Man, I know I wanted something exciting to happen but..." She felt her eyes start to sting and sniffed loudly.

"Don't cry. Your face will get all red."

Imari turned her head swiftly, hand poised at the place that her katana should have been, but nobody was there. "Oh...I'm going crazy. I have to be going completely nuts..."

"What a shame. You really are adorable," the rose sighed. And in it, Imari saw a person--another weird hybrid created by her mind. In fact, it was Jaden's student, Roden, smiling charmingly and handsomely. Imari felt herself turn red again, and the Roden-rose glanced coyly towards the iris.

"Pretty," the pansy put in. It was a small, cute little girl.

The iris stayed indifferent and dreary. It was Rai, and she was staring hard at Roden. She straightened out her petals snottily and then looked Imari over carefully from over her nose.

"Rai-chan! Hey, have you seen Itaru?" she asked hopefully, feeling awkward under the flower's cold blue eyes.

"What...kind of flower are you, exactly?" Rai asked coldly, not acknowledging that she knew Imari.

"She must be a wildflower," Roden said. "You know, she's got that untamed beauty about her."

"She must not be from around here," the girl agreed, nodding her cute little yellow petals vigorously.

Some of the other, unrecognizable flowers around them began murmuring amongst themselves. They sounded worried. As she looked around, Imari realized that these were not people from Kyoto, but farmers and townsmen from the country. She squirmed uncomfortably.

"I think...she's not one of us. She's just a little weed."

"Rai, that's an awfully rude thing to say," Roden scolded. "Goodness, you get so jealous."

"But have you ever seen a flower like her before?" Rai asked after a curt pout briefly crossed her face.

"That doesn't make her a weed!"

"Quiet, Amax-chan." Roden looked thoughtful and a little worried. "Still, blue and white...is so gaudy." He nodded to himself, then addressed Imari. "Maybe you should just be on your way, then, girl..."

At his change in attitude and the stares of the towns-flowers, Imari felt she had no choice but to sulk off, harboring even more ill feelings towards Rai than before.

"Stupid flowers..." She straightened her dress out and looked around. Though no longer in a garden, there were still huge plants growing around her.

"I, Ro, Ha, Ni..."

She blinked, unsure if she wanted any more encounters with anything in this strange world, but followed the voice anyway, through large blades of summery grass. It was strangely familiar, and she felt it was something forbidden. This drew her closer and closer, until she ran into a giant mushroom like the one she had eaten earlier.

"I, Ro, Ha, Ni." Atop the mushroom was a huge... It was Ito Kashitaro, in a caterpillar costume. Or rather, considering everything else, Ito Kashitaro was now a caterpillar. He was smoking a pipe like Hijikata's, but breathing out thick and colorful tufts of smoke and sitting with his many les crossed. "I, Ro, Ha... Who are _you_?"

Imari snapped to attention upon being noticed, Jaden's warnings against Ito clear in her head. "I...I really don't know, sir," she began nervously, still aware that he was her superior. "I mean... Everything's gone completely strange and--"

"I don't." He breathed a ring of smoke on her, examining her over his glasses. "Explain."

Imari coughed. "Well, I was wishing for something exciting to happen, Ito-san, but...something bizarre happened instead. I think I'm dreaming, Ito-san."

"You should be careful what you wish for, my darling." He smiled an honest smile, and Imari felt a little drawn to him.

"Right. But still, everything is really confusing."

"It is not. Goodness, girl, have you no brain?"

"_I_--"

"You? Who _are_ you?"

Now she understood Jaden's dislike for the man, and ground her teeth at him as he continued smoking.

"Wait! Girl, come back!"

Imari instinctively obeyed, and turned back to the mushroom with her arms crossed over her chest. "Well?" she questioned with more attitude than she thought herself to posses.

Ito smiled a catlike smile. "Be careful who you ally yourself with. Kitsunes cannot be trusted."

"Kitsunes..."

"Oh, here." From nowhere, he pulled the fan that the normal, human Ito always carried, and handed it to Imari. It was light and had cherry blossoms on it. She examined it thoroughly.

"What is--" When she looked back up at him, Ito was in the sky, a brilliant and flashy pink and purple butterfly smiling charmingly down at her.

"Tired of being so small? One side will make you get taller, and one side will make you grow smaller," he advised over his bright wings, fluttering away.

Unsure, she stuck the fan into the folds of her dress and pushed on, coming to a dark and deep forest. This also made her think back to summer, when the trees were full and green. "I suppose I'm looking for Itaru," she reasoned to herself, hoping for some sort of goal. "Though, I have no idea where..."

"North of the water...and south of the mountain lies...the full moon of spring. Hehehe."

Imari looked to the sound of the new voice. It came from a tree branch above her, where two green eyes glowed from the darkness. "Jaden-san," she said, relieved. She had been wondering when she would run into her protector, and was hopeful that the crafty woman would know some way to make everything right again.

"Hmmmm? Girl, have you lost something?" As Jaden came further out into the light, all of Imari's hope was lost. She was just as backwards and confused as everyone else in this world. She was in a one-piece striped pink and purple costume, and a long tail moved about behind her. Whiskers twitched on her face, and pointed ears protruded from her head. Her mouth was wide and full of sharp teeth.

"Ah... You're a cat!" She had expected a fox or a witch.

"A Cheshire cat," Jaden corrected, grinning manically and hanging upside down from the tree branch. "Lost with knowledge, lost without..."

She began to disappear right in front of Imari's eyes, from her feet to her head. "Wait!" Imari cried, reaching out to Jaden's wide grin and green eyes, which were all that remained. "Wait, come back!"

She faded back in. "Another haiku?" she suggested.

"No. I'm looking for my brother... I mean, I'm looking for a rabbit. With a pocket watch, and I don't know where he went. Have you seen him?"

"Who?"

"Ah, the rabbit."

"What about him?"

"Have you seen him?"

Unnervingly, her smile got even bigger. "He went that way." She pointed left.

"He did?!" Imari exclaimed excitedly, also smiling now. She somehow felt that finding Itaru would help her get back home, if at all possible.

"Who did what?"

Feeling like she should have known that Jaden would be no help at all, Imari started away.

"You know, if I was looking for your brother, I would ask the Mad Hatter."

She hesitated. "Ah...thank you, but... Um..."

"Of course," she went on, fingers interlaced, "that stupid March Hare seems to be around your brother a lot, too." She frowned at the mention of this March Hare, but looked to Imari for an answer and pointed to her right.

"Oh, well I think I'll visit him then--"

"_She_, you realize, is mad, too."

Imari couldn't help herself--she stomped her foot angrily. "I don't want to be among mad people!"

"Oh, you can hardly help that, my dear," Jaden laughed, looking down at Imari hungrily. "We're_ all_ mad here." She put a finger to her lips in a hush-hush gesture and began to disappear again. "You must be too, or you wouldn't be here. Lost with knowledge..."

"Ah, wait! ...Oh..." She heard music and voices coming from a trail to her left, and followed it to a white gate with a charming little home inside its perimeter. She pushed open the gate timidly and saw a long table with Western tea sets all over it. Heisuke was at the table, but he had mouse ears and a long gray tail. He was asleep. Two others were singing merrily, with cups of tea in their hands. She recognized one, the March Hare, as her brother's loyalist blonde kunoichi, Sara Mann. She also had bunny ears, but they were brown, and she wore a classy pink dress with a dark green vest over it. She looked happier than Imari had ever seen her in the Outa House.

The third was wearing a colossal lavender stovepipe hat, and Imari couldn't make out who it was. Though considering the foul-tempered Sara was there, she wasn't sure that she wanted to stay and find out. He was shorter than Sara and wore an all-purple and white suit.

They finished singing. "Let us congratulate ourselves with another cup of tea!" Sara declared. "A very--" She caught sight of Imari and stopped, frowning. The supposed Mad Hatter leaned forward to see around her.

It was Yamanami, smiling good-naturedly from behind his big glasses. "Ah..."

"No room!" Sara snapped. "No room, no room, no room, no room!"

Imari glanced around the table at the many unoccupied chairs. "Ah, but it looks like there's plenty of--"

"It's rude to just sit down without being invited," Yamanami told her gently, smiling apologetically.

"Ah, but I was wondering if you'd seen my brother...I mean... Never mind." She bowed. "I'm sorry for having interrupted your tea ceremony."

"This is no tea ceremony, stupid child," Sara laughed snidely. "Those are sophisticated, and sober--"

"Which, y-you aren't," Heisuke put in dizzily, falling asleep again directly after.

"I don't understand."

"This is a tea_ party_!" Yamanami explained, motioning around them. "Sit down, then, and we'll teach you. Now, the Kyoto iroha poem has all of the letters in the alpha... No, that's not it."

"It's a celebration," Sara finished, nodding and pouring tea from one cup to another, then back again. "For, um..."

"Do remember to cover your pretty hair when you go out," Heisuke added, his eyes still closed.

"For Tanabata!"

"But Tanabata was in July..." Imari informed them, taking a seat a ways away from the other three, not really wanting to be too close (but deciding that since Yamanami and Heisuke were there, it was safer than anywhere else). She picked up a teacup and examined it carefully. The design on it was flowery and pink and reminded her that she was in a dress. No one thus far had seemed to recognize her, however, so she pushed it to the back of her mind and daintily poured herself some green tea.

"Now, young lady, what brings you here?" Yamanami asked, ignoring her comment about Tanabata and pouring tea for Sara.

"Um... Well, I was looking for the white rabbit. And Jaden-san told me to come see you, but you don't seem to--"

"Jaden-san?"

"Oh, sorry." Imari raised the teacup to her lips. "I mean the Cheshire Cat."

She didn't get to taste the tea. Heisuke bolted up in his seat and looked around frantically, and she dropped her cup. "Cat?!" In his haste to stand up, he knocked over his chair and a tea pot, then ran around the table a few times. For several minutes of this, Imari's other companions continued drinking tea calmly, until about his sixth time around, when Sara leaned back in her chair and tripped--or rather, incapacitated--him.

"Look at the trouble you've caused, and you haven't even had any tea!" Sara accused her, standing up on the table and pointing. "You really have no manners, this is an outrage!"  
"You're the one on top of the table..."

"And what a nice table it is," Yamanami added, smiling. He tossed his teacup over his shoulder, and it exploded violently. Imari no longer felt safe. She thought maybe she should find Ito again. "Now, what were you saying before?"

"Um...just that the, ah, feline advised me that the two of you may have seen Ita--the rabbit. But it seems that's not the case, so I suppose I should be going..."

She stood up, but the two encouraged her to sit down again, reminded her that she hadn't even had any _tea_, she needed some _tea_, and she should take a new seat somewhere else and get a clean cup. Stepping over Heisuke, Imari reluctantly obeyed. Sara also stepped down off the table and took a new seat, brushing wrinkles out of her dress.

"A riddle!"

"A...riddle?" Imari repeated, setting down her cup again.

"Yes, that would be..."

"That would be?"

"What do the white rabbit and I have in common?"

She frowned. "That's not a riddle at all, its fact. And I suppose...it's that you both have Takoda's working for you. Just like you and I, Sara-san, we're friends with Jaden-san and Roden-san."

"Wrong!" Sara leaned in towards Yamanami and loudly whispered, "We'd best watch out for this one, she's completely mad. Mentioning weird, imaginary people." She started meticulously pouring her tea back and forth in different cups again. "It's for the taste," she informed Imari as she stared. "Do have some tea."

"I've been trying this whole time." She ground her teeth and sulked into her chair. She would be very unhappy if she became stuck in this strange world--everyone here was ten times more annoying, expectant, and confusing than they were in the real world. Plus, all of the Western-styled decor made her feel out of place.

"Oh, look girl, it's the rabbit!"

She swirled around, and Itaru was peeking in the gate questioningly, clutching his golden pocket watch.

"Itaru!"

He shook his head at her, and his bunny ears flopped about along with his messy hair. He was a blonde again. "I can't. I'm late, late, late!" He started off, but Sara and Yamanmi had stood up and captured him by his arms, and were now carrying him back to the table. They plopped him in a chair and leaned over him, offering him tea and sweets.

Yamanami had grasped his watch and pulled it from his pocket as he tried to escape. "Well no wonder you're late, this watch is wrong!"

"W-what?"

"There aren't numbers at all, there's just weird lines and stuff."

"Oh, no. That's okay, they're Roman numerals is all, and--AHHHHHH, what are you _doing_?!"

Sara had opened up the watch and poured tea down into its gears. "I'm fixing it," she said without looking up, as brown tea poured endlessly from her small cup.

"Oh, here's some sugar, too," Yamanami added.

"No!"

"Um...Rabbit-kun?"

All three looked up at Imari. "Ah, yes?" Itaru questioned, tilting his head.

"What exactly are you late for?" She had known her brother to be the last to some of his meetings, but he was still usually technically on time. "It can't be that important if you're running so far behind."

"No! It is important! Very important! And I'm late!" Now that he had been reminded, he tried to stand up again, and was successful this time. He struggled with Sara over the demolished golden watch briefly, won it back, and took off. Imari shot out of her chair instinctively and followed him without another word to Sara, Yamanami, or Heisuke.

This time, Itaru quickly pulled ahead of his sister, and he was soon out of her sight. Glancing around as she ran, Imari noticed that her surroundings looked even less friendly than before, and slowed her pace gradually until she came to a nervous halt. "Where...where am I now?" she asked herself, surveying the dark forest surrounding her. There were no paths, just tall trees and eyes peeking out at her from their shade. "Oh no... I thought I was lost before, but now..." She spun around slowly, looking for where she had come from or another way out of the dark forest. "This is bad."

"Lost with knowledge, lost without, such is the way of the law..."

Her head shot up. "Jaden-san!"

The cat-woman's toothy grin made Imari shudder, despite her relief at seeing the other woman. "You keep calling people weird names," Jaden hissed, hanging upside down from a tree branch. "So don't worry--as far as insanity goes, you'll fit right in here."

"B-but I want to go home!" She said it before really thinking about it, and just ran with it. Tears sprang to her eyes despite her attempts to keep them away. "I _want_ to go back; I don't _care_ if it's boring there! I don't even care if I have to eat only watermelon for the rest of my life!"

Jaden continued to observe quietly after the outburst ended, then disappeared. She reappeared behind Imari, hugging the young woman's waist just as she usually did back at Shinsengumi Headquarters. It felt good.

"You can't leave without seeing the Prince. No one leaves without seeing the Prince."

"The...Prince?"

"Yes."

"But...what about the King? Surely if there's a Prince, there's a King."

"Yes."

Imari just shook her head. "Never mind. Still, I haven't heard of any Prince yet. Where can I find him?"

Jaden frowned and set her head down on her interlaced paws. "Ah, well, some like to go that way and some like to go this way. You know. But I've always preferred the shortcut." She released Imari and moved in front of her. Bending down, she put her hand to the ground, then slowly raised it up. As she did, a slim rectangle of color and light and sounds broke through the trees, becoming a door to another place entirely. Imari looked inside quickly, stepped closer to it.

When Imari turned back around, Jaden was gone, but she heard the little woman--feline's--voice whispering in the trees, a final few words of help. "Just tell the Prince that the Cheshire Cat sent you," her voice said. "That'll help. Lost with knowledge, lost..." And then it faded away.

Undaunted now that she actually had a set task to complete, Imari stepped through the door and peeked around. There was a pathway and neat shrubs decorating it, a looming Western-style castle in the distance. She heard voices and stepped closer to them despite her better judgment screaming for her to do otherwise, stepping around and over the bushes to get to a break in the path.

It was Okita, Nagakura, and Saito talking, but they were half-person, half-paper, with symbols from the Western alphabet on their chests. There were white roses growing enthusiastically all around the huge courtyard, but the three were painting them red, causing them to droop.

"Um...you're killing the flowers," she told them, frowning. "See, they're all droopy."

"That doesn't matter," Okita answered with his usual permanent smile. "They just need to be red."

"See, we planted the white ones by mistake," Nagakura added, stopping his painting and putting a hand on his hip. "The Prince's favorite color is _red_."

She smiled. "So you know the Prince? That's wonderful, the Cheshire Cat told me--"

"And," Saito interrupted sleepily, in his creepy and unattached way, "if the Prince saw that we planted the white roses, it would be seppuku for us."

Okita shoved a bucket of paint into her hands. "So here, you can help us finish up."

Again taking orders from her superiors without thinking too much about her strange situation and what she actually should have done, Imari took up the wide brush and began frantically helping the three. "But the Prince... He doesn't seem like someone I would want to meet if he's going to kill you over flowers," she said, pouting. "Was Jaden-san just playing a trick...?"

She blinked as Itaru ran past, still muttering about being late. It occurred to her that he could have saved a lot of time with Jaden's shortcut, and then she barreled after him. "Itaru! Itaru!"

He stopped, but not to acknowledge her. "His royal majesty, the Prince of Hearts, presiding!" he called, and more Shinsengumi members in the shape of playing cards filtered out from near the castle in the distance. "Also, the King of Hearts," he added later, quietly. Okita frowned a bit and the other two Captains looked mortified as their comrades came out in a grand display.

Then the seppuku made sense. Behind all of these men was Hijikata Toshizou, dressed in fancy Western clothes that were black and yellow and red, a small golden crown atop his head, his face grim and unhappy as usual. Behind him was Kondo, also in a crown, although a much smaller one.

Hijikata stopped before the four of them, Kondo admiring the roses with the eye of someone rather cultured behind him. "Souji," the former began, pulling a pipe from his sleeve and lighting it. "Why...did you plant flowers?"

"They're red, Hijikata-san. It's your favorite color." Okita smiled and smiled and smiled as he said this, just like back in the real world.

Hijikata turned on the other two after Okita refused to stop smiling manically at him. They were terrified, which seemed to be more of what the Vice Commander/Prince was looking for. "Flowers are for women and Loyalists," he snapped. "Don't insult me. Seppuku for the two of you!"

"And Okita-sensei?" Imari clapped a hand over her mouth as soon as she heard herself say this, regretting it immediately.

"And who are you?" That sneer, that look he usually only directed at Jaden was suddenly being used on her. Imari wondered, feeling like she was shrinking, how Jaden could possibly go on annoying him when her shot her this terrifying look. She couldn't move.

"Ah...ah...I..."

"Oh, it's a young lady, Toshi," Kondo said, coming up next to the other man and smiling and waving his hands.

Hijikata shot him a look from his superior height, taking his pipe from his mouth and blowing out dark smoke. "Really? With that short hair and flat chest, it looks more like a man in drag, doesn't it?"

That was an immense insult, but also a huge relief. He had been the person that Imari hadn't wanted to be recognized by most of all. Still, that was a little cruel... She peeked downwards at her chest.

"Now, bow like a proper lady."

"Yes, Vice-Commander!" Imari struggled down gracelessly and pointed her fingers inwards as she bowed, using only her leg muscles to stand back up, nearly stumbling. It had been a while since she had bowed 'like a proper lady.' Hijikata didn't seem to catch that she had called him 'Vice-Commander' instead of 'Prince,' and she thanked whatever gods were listening for this blessing.

"Girl, where are you from?" Kondo asked in his booming, fatherly voice.

Imari stood and smiled at him. "That would be... I'm from the Capital," she answered. "Kyoto."

The two men exchanged looks. "I've never heard of that..." Kondo started weakly, smiling a nervous smile.

"Because it doesn't exist," Hijikata breathed coolly. "_This_ is the capital. She's insane." He turned and began walking back towards the lopsided castle in the distance. "Seppu--"

"Wait! The cat! Jaden-san, the Cheshire Cat sent me!"

Hijikata stopped in his tracks, peering disgustedly over his shoulder. "Cat?!" he snapped. "Not--not the one with green eyes and stripes?"

"Ah, so she's still around after all," Kondo said thoughtfully, shooting a worried look towards Hijikata. "Say, Toshi, she..."

"She kept reciting poetry," Imari added, thinking back.

"I'll kill her!" the demon-prince snarled, turning around and ripping the katana from off of his belt.

"Ah!" The sound slipped out before Imari could stop. Jaden was behind him, coolly snickering, but the girl's sudden gasp alerted Hijikata to it. He turned around, carving a path through the rose bushes with his katana as he did so, and causing Kondo to duck and take a step back.

"CAT! Come OUT!"

"Oh, this is fun," Jaden purred into Imari's ear. "Protect this for me, okay?" And then, she was gone, and a haiku book was in Imari's hands.

"Girl." Commanding. Scary. Some of his hair slipped out of its ponytail and fell over his calculating eyes, his crown askew because of all of the sudden movements. "That book. Give it back."

"Toshi..."

Despite Jaden telling her to protect the small, beaten book, she handed it over to Hijikata without any thought, scrambling on her knees in a bow after he had it safely in his hands.

He stuck the book into the folds of his red and gold jacket and sheathed the katana, taking a deep breath. "Good, then..." That disgusting pipe again, and its tendrils of dark smoke. "Still, you're obviously working with that despicable creature, girl. Seppuku for you."

"No! That's not fair!" Imari cried. Perhaps she should have tried to escape with the haiku book after all. Now the cards, her own comrades were coming to seize her, grabbing her and securing her by the arms even as she struggled against them.

"Toshi, wait!" Kondo took long strides to catch Hijikata as he turned away uncaringly. He kept on walking, but Kondo kept talking, too. "Toshi, couldn't we hold a trial? Please, Toshi?"

Hijikata stopped and massaged his temples, once again peeking at Imari over his shoulder. "Fine. Just this once."

Imari and Kondo both smiled with disbelief, and some of the Shinsengumi-cards loosened their grips on her, also looking surprised. "Arigato, Hijikata-san!" she bit out.

He grumbled some incomprehensible nonsense, motioning with a white gloved hand for the soldiers to escort Imari away. "Let's make this fast."

A few blocks of topiary maze and the entire party was in something of an outdoor courtroom, where Itaru stood waiting--as if he had known all along--at a tall desk. He announced Hijikata and Kondo, and once again the former received high praise and the latter considerably less praise. They took spots above everyone else, towering over the cards and Imari, who was placed into a small red and yellow desk-like place, guarded closely by none other than Harada on her left and Inoue Genzaburo on her right. It occurred to her then to think back to Yamanami and Heisuke, who were almost part of their own world entirely. Shouldn't Heisuke have been one of the cards carrying her about?  
"The prisoner at the bar is charged with high treason," Itaru announced loudly, sounding a little nervous and panicked, "against his majesty, the Prince of Hearts, and the kingdom."

"But--"

"The young lady is sentenced to," he went on," seppuku, in order to regain her honor through death."

"Oh no..." Imari put the heels of her hands to her face exasperatedly. Seppuku was an honorable death, yes, but she hadn't _done _anything.

"Ah, shouldn't there be a verdict before the sentence, Toshizou?"

Everyone turned to look back towards the source of the new voice, though they all seemed to know who it was before seeing him. Hijikata sunk into his tall throne and scowled. Imari stood up straighter and proclaimed, "Yamanami-san!"

"Ah, the Mad Hatter," Kondo laughed brightly. "And the Dormouse and March Hare. Surely one of you three can call yourself a witness to this girl's supposed acts of treason?"

"There is a reason he's called the _Mad_ Hatter," Hijikata sighed coldly. "I wouldn't take anything he says to heart."

Heisuke continued to sleep (he was slung over Sara's shoulder) and Sara examined her fingernails with interest, but Yamanami stepped up despite Hijikata's sentiments, removing his hat before the other man could order him to do so. "Actually, she seems like quite the nice girl. I don't see how she could have possibly committed treason when she was just with us, at our tea ceremony--"

"Tea _party_."

"Our tea _party_, mere hours ago," he finished innocently, flashing a smile to the sneering Prince.

"She was conspiring with that _cat_--"

"_Cat_?!" Complete madness, with Heisuke running around in the middle of it all, screaming about cats. Yamanami's hat was flying and Hijikata fell from his tall tower as cards crashed into it while trying to catch and restrain Heisuke... And more, Itaru was making a hasty escape. Imari couldn't even attempt to follow him through all of the chaos, but it was then, watching him leave, that she saw Ito flying about again. His flamboyant wings couldn't have been much more obvious, in fact, and he called down to Imari.

"Remember my fan? Put it to use, girlie!" And he fluttered away smiling, as if such chaos was part of some big plan he had.

Yamanami and Sara had Heisuke down and asleep again, but Imari was unconcerned. She had forgotten what exactly Ito's flower fan was supposed to do to her, but she quickly pulled it from her apron and flashed both sides at herself.

Just as everything else fell back into order, with Hijikata screaming and Heisuke asleep and Jaden somehow there again, out of nowhere, Imari shot upwards. Ten, twelve, twenty feet tall. Everything was thrown into a panic again, but she had gained a little courage.

Hijikata, however, was not a man that easily daunted. "If this isn't treason--" he began, but Imari picked him up by the back of his jacket, bringing him up to her eye level.

"The demon Prince, huh?" she scowled. "Well, just like the demon Vice-Commander. You think you're in charge, don't you?"  
"Of course not," he snapped back, hardly hampered or frightened by his opponent's size. He crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. "I'm just the Prince."

Imari stomped her foot frustratedly, luckily missing everyone on the ground watching. "Demon Prince, indeed," she snorted, unaware that she was shrinking now. "Why, Hijikata Toshizou is nothing but a mortal man after al--" She looked around. Hijikata was taller than her again, and scowling over her with all of his soldier cards behind him.

"Seppuku," he snarled, and everyone around took off running. Imari somehow, in her panic managed to pull ahead of all of the others, followed by Hijikata and Yamanami, in close competition, and then all of the others behind them. She crashed through bushes and shrubs, then through the trees and insane pathways of before. Then somehow they were in the Tea Party Garden again. Sara caught up now, and caught her by the elbows, hooking her around in a quick circle.

"The tea party! You have to have some tea!"

Imari escaped from her, but then Jaden was curling annoyingly around her legs, spinning her around yet again. "I love poetry," she purred mockingly, shoving Imari forward in another random direction. She could hear the cards and Hijikata trampling after her, hot on her heels.

Bright colors. The garden. Rai, that bitch, stuck out a petite leaf and tripped her, while Roden sighed and quickly helped her back to her feet despite himself. She didn't care to thank him. In front of her, she could see Itaru, his white ears twitching as he heard the approaching mob. he was standing in a black hole--the rabbit hole--a space of nothingness against the rest of the insane colors of the garden of this world. Imari called out for him. She felt someone behind her nearly catch her by the hand. Tears sprung to her eyes a she got closer to her brother, her twin, and she took a leap into that blackness. Her dress fluttered around her, and she reached out. "Itaru! Itaru!" Strings of tears dropped off of her cheeks, but she had a hold of him. Her surprised, half-rabbit brother. She had him, and she smiled. "Itaru."

He faded. The loud sounds and sense of both danger and happiness at being with her brother faded. Only the tears and blackness still remained.

"--Mari? Imari?"

Her eyes fluttered open. She was in Shinsengumi Headquarters, in Heisuke's room, lying on a futon on her back. She saw Jaden in front of her--normal, not a cat, dressed in her orange kimono. Heisuke was hanging off to the side a bit more, but he was normal too. Not asleep. Not a mouse. She blinked and sat up, feeling small tears leave her eyes. She wiped at her face, surprised, and looked down at herself. She was wearing tattered samurai gear.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"You know, you shouldn't go around eating mushrooms if you don't know what they are. That's dangerous."

Their being together, their talking almost simultaneously without giving her a chance to reply, was reassuring, and she smiled. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Well, you passed out earlier while we were mushroom hunting, so we brought you back here," Jaden explained, frowning.

"Yeah, you kind of ruined the day off," Heisuke pouted. "Anyway, what were you dreaming about. You were really thrashing around and stuff for a little bit."

Imari stood up and stretched herself out, thinking a little before she answered. That was far too difficult a question to answer. "I fell through a rabbit hole," she said finally, almost laughing. "It was...it was just like my daily life here."


End file.
